DETAILED ACTION
This is the first office action in response to U.S. application 19/484,386. All claims are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claim 8 objected to because of the following informalities: claim 8 cites the limitation of an apparatus comprising a controller performing the method of claim 1. Because claims 9-14 are identical to claims 2-7, examiner recommends amending claim 8 to an independent claim and including the claim limitations of claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 2-6 and 9-13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 2 cites the limitation of determining instantaneous curvature using an equation where the equation includes use of the variable λ. However, this variable is not defined in the specification and it is unclear what this variable is. Because of this the scope of claim 2 is unclear, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would not be able to understand what invention Applicant has possession of. Claims 3-6 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 2.
Claim 9 cites the limitation of determining instantaneous curvature using an equation where the equation includes use of the variable λ. However, this variable is not defined in the specification and it is unclear what this variable is. Because of this the scope of claim 9 is unclear, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would not be able to understand what invention Applicant has possession of. Claims 10-13 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 9.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-6 and 9-13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 cites the limitation of determining instantaneous curvature using an equation where the equation includes use of the variable λ. However, this variable is not defined and it is unclear what this variable is. Because of this the scope of claim 2 is unclear. Claims 3-6 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 2.
Claim 9 cites the limitation of determining instantaneous curvature using an equation where the equation includes use of the variable λ. However, this variable is not defined and it is unclear what this variable is. Because of this the scope of claim 9 is unclear. Claims 10-13 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 9.
Claim 3 cites the limitation of performing attitude estimation based on a defined relationship with variables. However, the variable R is not defined and it is unclear what this variable is. Because of this the scope of claim 3 is unclear.
Claim 10 cites the limitation of performing attitude estimation based on a defined relationship with variables. However, the variable R is not defined and it is unclear what this variable is. Because of this the scope of claim 3 is unclear.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dickson (US 6686951 B1, IDS) in view of Whitehead (US 20090164067).
Regarding claim 1, Dickson teaches a method for steering an agricultural machine (Col. 3 lines 56-67 discuss steering control of an agricultural machine), the method comprising:
receiving location data from a (Col. 4 lines 21-31 discuss the sensor system including a carrier-phase differential global positioning system with Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 3 discussing the guidance system receiving the location data from the global positioning system);
receiving inertial data from a plurality of inertial sensors (Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 3 discuss the guidance system receiving information from an inertial measurement system);
determining an instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine based on the location data, the inertial data, an angle between a direction of the agricultural machine's movement and a tangent to a target path at a point closest to the agricultural machine (Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 11 discuss determining an orientation of the vehicle in a field based on the location data and inertial data where Col. 7 lines 23-26 discuss determining row locations and orientations
(
x
0
,
y
0
)
, where Col. 9 lines 9-40 discuss determining the steering angle required for turning radius R for the vehicle to have a change in x and y position to the field x and y locations), a path parameter (Col. 11 lines 10-17 discuss determining the look ahead point when the angle between the current point and the heading exceeds an angle), a function of the target path with respect to the path parameter (Col. 10 lines 22-32 discuss determining the target path with respect to the trajectory of the vehicle or the look ahead point, Fig. 8), and a signed distance of a center of a rear axis of the agricultural machine to the target path (Col. 11 lines 45-60 discuss determining the look ahead distance in the y axis for the vehicle origin to pass through the target path), the signed distance having a positive sign when the agricultural machine is on one side of the target path and having a negative sign when the agricultural machine is on the other side of the target path (Col. 10 line 66 – Col. 11 line 6 discuss the signed distance changing based on which side of the target path the vehicle is on); and
steering the agricultural machine based on the determined instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine (Col. 3 lines 55-60 discuss steering control of an agricultural machine with Col. 8 lines 42-47 further discussing determining steering corrections for the vehicle to follow the path).
Dickson does not explicitly teach receiving GNSS signals. Whitehead teaches an agricultural machine determining attitude based on received GNSS signals ([0036]).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 2, as best understood according to the 112b rejection, Dickson teaches wherein the instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine is determined using the equation:
u
=
-
3
λ
z
'
-
3
λ
2
z
-
λ
3
∫
z
d
ζ
-
P
c
o
s
ψ
where ψ is the angle between the direction of the agricultural machine's movement and the tangent to the target path at the point closest to the agricultural machine (Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 11 discuss determining an orientation of the vehicle in a field based on the location data and inertial data where Col. 7 lines 23-26 discuss determining row locations and orientations
(
x
0
,
y
0
)
, where Col. 9 lines 9-40 discuss determining the steering angle required for turning radius R for the vehicle to have a change in x and y position to the field x and y locations), ξ is a path parameter (Col. 11 lines 10-17 discuss determining the look ahead point when the angle between the current point and the heading exceeds an angle), z is a signed distance of the center of the rear axis of the agricultural machine to the target path and has a positive sign if the agricultural machine is on the one side of the target path and has a negative sign if the agricultural machine is on the other side of the target path (Col. 10 line 66 – Col. 11 line 6 discuss the signed distance changing based on which side of the target path the vehicle is on), P is the function of the target path with respect to the path parameter (Col. 10 lines 22-32 discuss determining the target path with respect to the trajectory of the vehicle or the look ahead point, Fig. 8), and z' = sin ψ, the location data and inertial data used to determine ψ, ξ , z, and P (as all of the defined variables within this equation are used, and Col. 11 line 35 shows the output is the turn angle of the agricultural machine required to follow the crop path therefore this is teaching the use of these variables within an equation to determine the steering angle of the machine).
Regarding claim 3, as best understood according to the 112 rejections, Dickson does not teach all of wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least one antenna, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of the agricultural machine's instantaneous velocity according to the relationship:
r = R(v 00)T where r is determined by a control action on the drives of the agricultural machine's wheels and the attitude of the agricultural machine's body.
Whitehead teaches wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least one antenna, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of the agricultural machine's instantaneous velocity according to the relationship:
r = R(v 00)T where r is determined by a control action on the drives of the agricultural machine's wheels and the attitude of the agricultural machine's body ([0039] discusses the use of an antenna to acquire GNSS signals and using the relationship of the vehicle’s velocity to derive the heading).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 4, Dickson teaches using global positioning systems, but does not explicitly teach wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least three antennas, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of vectors from one of the three antennas to the rest of the antennas, based on the relationship
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
=
R
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
where
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
i
=
1,2
are two baselines expressed in the agricultural machine's body coordinate frame, which are determined based on a calibration procedure, and
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
are two instantly measured baselines.
Whitehead teaches wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least three antennas, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of vectors from one of the three antennas to the rest of the antennas, based on the relationship
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
=
R
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
where
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
i
=
1,2
are two baselines expressed in the agricultural machine's body coordinate frame, which are determined based on a calibration procedure, and
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
are two instantly measured baselines ([0088]-[0089] discuss correcting the attitude estimation based on the fixed baselines expressed in the body’s coordinate frame using three antennas).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 5, Dickson teaches wherein an initial agricultural machine attitude is determined using a calibration maneuver, wherein the agricultural machine attitude estimation is further based on the initial agricultural machine attitude (Col. 4 lines 38-40 discuss calibrating the wheel angle sensor with Col. 11 line 66 – Col. 12 line 2 further discussing calibrating the vision guidance in determining the transformations between vehicle and image coordinates).
Regarding claim 6, Dickson teaches a calibrating maneuver, but does not explicitly teach wherein the calibration maneuver comprises moving the agricultural machine in a known direction of movement ([0039] discusses the use of an antenna to acquire GNSS signals and using the relationship of the vehicle’s velocity to derive the heading where the velocity is interpreted as including a direction of movement).
Whitehead teaches wherein the calibration maneuver comprises moving the agricultural machine in a known direction of movement ([0039] discusses the use of an antenna to acquire GNSS signals and using the relationship of the vehicle’s velocity to derive the heading where the velocity is interpreted as including a direction of movement).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 8, Dickson teaches an apparatus (agricultural vehicle 10) comprising:
a (Col. 4 lines 21-31 discuss the sensor system including a global positioning system with Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 3 discussing the guidance system receiving the location data from the global positioning system);
a plurality of inertial sensors (Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 3 discuss the guidance system receiving information from an inertial measurement system); and
a controller (guidance controller 40) configured to receive location data from the GNSS receiver and inertial data from the plurality of inertial sensors and perform the method of claim 1 for steering an agricultural machine (Col. 4 line 64 – Col. 5 line 11 discuss the guidance controller receiving data inputs from the location sensors to perform the method described above).
Dickson does not explicitly teach a plurality of antennas or receiving GNSS signals. Whitehead teaches an agricultural machine with a plurality of antennas ([0088]-[0089] discuss correcting the attitude estimation using three antennas) determining attitude based on received GNSS signals ([0036]).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 9, as best understood according to the 112b rejection, Dickson teaches wherein the instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine is determined using the equation:
u
=
-
3
λ
z
'
-
3
λ
2
z
-
λ
3
∫
z
d
ζ
-
P
c
o
s
ψ
where ψ is the angle between the direction of the agricultural machine's movement and the tangent to the target path at the point closest to the agricultural machine (Col. 4 line 61 – Col. 5 line 11 discuss determining an orientation of the vehicle in a field based on the location data and inertial data where Col. 7 lines 23-26 discuss determining row locations and orientations
(
x
0
,
y
0
)
, where Col. 9 lines 9-40 discuss determining the steering angle required for turning radius R for the vehicle to have a change in x and y position to the field x and y locations), ξ is a path parameter (Col. 11 lines 10-17 discuss determining the look ahead point when the angle between the current point and the heading exceeds an angle), z is a signed distance of the center of the rear axis of the agricultural machine to the target path and has a positive sign if the agricultural machine is on the one side of the target path and has a negative sign if the agricultural machine is on the other side of the target path (Col. 10 line 66 – Col. 11 line 6 discuss the signed distance changing based on which side of the target path the vehicle is on), P is the function of the target path with respect to the path parameter (Col. 10 lines 22-32 discuss determining the target path with respect to the trajectory of the vehicle or the look ahead point, Fig. 8), and z' = sin ψ, the location data and inertial data used to determine ψ, ξ , z, and P (as all of the defined variables within this equation are used, and Col. 11 line 35 shows the output is the turn angle of the agricultural machine required to follow the crop path therefore this is teaching the use of these variables within an equation to determine the steering angle of the machine).
Regarding claim 10, as best understood according to the 112 rejections, Dickson does not teach all of wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least one antenna, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of the agricultural machine's instantaneous velocity according to the relationship:
r = R(v 00)T where r is determined by a control action on the drives of the agricultural machine's wheels and the attitude of the agricultural machine's body.
Whitehead teaches wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least one antenna, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of the agricultural machine's instantaneous velocity according to the relationship:
r = R(v 00)T where r is determined by a control action on the drives of the agricultural machine's wheels and the attitude of the agricultural machine's body ([0039] discusses the use of an antenna to acquire GNSS signals and using the relationship of the vehicle’s velocity to derive the heading).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 11, Dickson teaches using global positioning systems, but does not explicitly teach wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least three antennas, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of vectors from one of the three antennas to the rest of the antennas, based on the relationship
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
=
R
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
where
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
i
=
1,2
are two baselines expressed in the agricultural machine's body coordinate frame, which are determined based on a calibration procedure, and
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
are two instantly measured baselines.
Whitehead teaches wherein the GNSS receiver receives GNSS satellite signals from at least three antennas, wherein an agricultural machine attitude estimation is corrected based on measurements of vectors from one of the three antennas to the rest of the antennas, based on the relationship
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
=
R
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
where
b
c
a
l
i
b
,
i
i
=
1,2
are two baselines expressed in the agricultural machine's body coordinate frame, which are determined based on a calibration procedure, and
b
m
e
s
,
i
,
i
=
1,2
are two instantly measured baselines ([0088]-[0089] discuss correcting the attitude estimation based on the fixed baselines expressed in the body’s coordinate frame using three antennas).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Regarding claim 12, Dickson teaches wherein an initial agricultural machine attitude is determined using a calibration maneuver, wherein the agricultural machine attitude estimation is further based on the initial agricultural machine attitude (Col. 4 lines 38-40 discuss calibrating the wheel angle sensor with Col. 11 line 66 – Col. 12 line 2 further discussing calibrating the vision guidance in determining the transformations between vehicle and image coordinates).
Regarding claim 13, Dickson teaches a calibrating maneuver, but does not explicitly teach wherein the calibration maneuver comprises moving the agricultural machine in a known direction of movement ([0039] discusses the use of an antenna to acquire GNSS signals and using the relationship of the vehicle’s velocity to derive the heading where the velocity is interpreted as including a direction of movement).
Whitehead teaches wherein the calibration maneuver comprises moving the agricultural machine in a known direction of movement ([0039] discusses the use of an antenna to acquire GNSS signals and using the relationship of the vehicle’s velocity to derive the heading where the velocity is interpreted as including a direction of movement).
Dickson teaches using a global positioning system to determine location and attitude. Whitehead teaches using GNSS signals and multiple antennas to determine location and attitude. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the GNSS signals and multiple antennas of Whitehead as Whitehead teaches that this allows the system to account for errors in pitch, roll, and yaw which is commonly of interest in agricultural machines [0065].
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dickson in view of Whitehead and further in view of Gao (US 20240227795).
Regarding claim 7, Dickson teaches determining curvature of steering, but does not explicitly teach wherein the instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine is determined using the equation:
δ
˙
=
δ
+
β
Π
(
X
)
where δ is the norm of lateral deviation, β is the positive scale factor, and Π(X) is the potential generated by a whole point cloud.
Gao teaches wherein the instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine is determined using the equation:
δ
˙
=
δ
+
β
Π
(
X
)
where δ is the norm of lateral deviation, β is the positive scale factor, and Π(X) is the potential generated by a whole point cloud ([0039] discusses following a determined path based on lateral deviation with [0042]-[0050] discussing the lateral deviation being determined in a vector field around the trajectory where it is interpreted that this vector field would utilize potential values and scale factors in determining the acceleration required to correct to the determined path).
Dickson teaches determining curvature of steering of an agricultural machine. Gao teaches using vector fields and lateral deviation in determining steering of the agricultural machine. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the vector field and lateral deviation determination of Gao as Gao teaches that this improves path following performance [0007].
Regarding claim 14, Dickson teaches determining curvature of steering, but does not explicitly teach wherein the instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine is determined using the equation:
δ
˙
=
δ
+
β
Π
(
X
)
where δ is the norm of lateral deviation, β is the positive scale factor, and Π(X) is the potential generated by a whole point cloud.
Gao teaches wherein the instantaneous curvature of the steering of the agricultural machine is determined using the equation:
δ
˙
=
δ
+
β
Π
(
X
)
where δ is the norm of lateral deviation, β is the positive scale factor, and Π(X) is the potential generated by a whole point cloud ([0039] discusses following a determined path based on lateral deviation with [0042]-[0050] discussing the lateral deviation being determined in a vector field around the trajectory where it is interpreted that this vector field would utilize potential values and scale factors in determining the acceleration required to correct to the determined path).
Dickson teaches determining curvature of steering of an agricultural machine. Gao teaches using vector fields and lateral deviation in determining steering of the agricultural machine. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Dickson with the vector field and lateral deviation determination of Gao as Gao teaches that this improves path following performance [0007].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Sheikh (US 6088653 A) teaches updating the attitude of a vehicle using GPS signals; Nagamiya (US 20100007550) teaches measuring vehicle speed and position using GPS signals; and Medagoda (US 20190375450) teaches calculating vehicle curvature error based on vehicle heading error.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIELLE M JACKSON whose telephone number is (303)297-4364. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00-4:30 MT.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abby Lin can be reached at (571) 270-3976. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/D.M.J./Examiner, Art Unit 3657 /ABBY LIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3657
