Prior art — US Patent 12158289

Prior Art for US12158289

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 12158289, we will examine the citations listed in the patent document itself. Under 35 U.S.C. § 102, prior art can anticipate a claim if it discloses every element of the claimed invention.

Here are the prior art references cited in US Patent 12158289, along with their details and potential anticipation:

1. US Patent 9,905,717

Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 9,905,717, filed Dec. 9, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/735,537 filed Dec. 10, 2012.
Publication/Filing Date: December 9, 2013 (filing date of 9,905,717).
Brief Description: This patent is broadly related to solar tracker systems, and is referenced in the background and description of US12158289 for further details on drive devices.
Potential Anticipation: US12158289 explicitly incorporates this patent by reference for "further details of the drive device". Since the drive device is a fundamental component mentioned in independent claims 1, 13, and 18 of US12158289, elements related to the basic function and configuration of a drive device for rotating a solar tracker in 9,905,717 could potentially anticipate aspects of these claims. Specifically, if 9,905,717 discloses a drive device coupled to a solar tracker to rotate it about an axis, this would be highly relevant to Claim 1 ("A drive device coupled to the solar tracker and configured to rotate the solar tracker about an axis"), Claim 13 ("a drive device coupled to the solar tracker and configured to rotate the solar tracker about an axis"), and Claim 18 ("at least one drive device coupled to each of the solar trackers").

2. US Patent 9,766,319

Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 9,766,319 entitled OFF-SET DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR SOLAR TRACKER, filed Sep. 17, 2014.
Publication/Filing Date: September 17, 2014 (filing date).
Brief Description: This patent is cited for its relevance to "off-set drive assembly for solar tracker" technologies.
Potential Anticipation: Similar to 9,905,717, this patent is incorporated by reference in US12158289 for details on drive devices. The specific mention of an "off-set drive assembly" indicates that it likely describes a mechanism for rotating a solar tracker. Therefore, its disclosure of a drive device for rotating a solar tracker about an axis could potentially anticipate the drive device elements in Claims 1, 13, and 18. The "off-set" nature could further anticipate specific configurations of the drive device if those configurations are not specifically claimed as novel in US12158289.

3. US Patent 10,008,975

Full Citation: U.S. Pat. No. 10,008,975 entitled CLAMP ASSEMBLY FOR SOLAR TRACKER, filed Sep. 17, 2014.
Publication/Filing Date: September 17, 2014 (filing date).
Brief Description: This patent is cited for its relevance to "clamp assembly for solar tracker" technologies.
Potential Anticipation: While the primary focus of this patent appears to be on a "clamp assembly," it's a component of a solar tracker. If the clamp assembly described in 10,008,975 is integral to the support or rotation of the solar modules on the tracker, or if it facilitates the coupling of the drive device to the torque tube, then aspects of this patent could potentially anticipate elements within Claims 1, 13, and 18 that broadly describe a "solar tracker supporting a plurality of solar modules" and its rotation. However, without more specific details of the clamp assembly's role in relation to the drive and rotation in 10,008,975, direct anticipation of the broader claims regarding the drive device and control system is less certain.

4. US Provisional Application No. 62/095,670

Full Citation: U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/095,670, filed on Dec. 22, 2014, for "SELF-POWERED SOLAR TRACKER APPARATUS".
Publication/Filing Date: December 22, 2014 (filing date).
Brief Description: This provisional application describes a "self-powered solar tracker apparatus."
Potential Anticipation: The title "SELF-POWERED SOLAR TRACKER APPARATUS" is highly relevant to Claim 1 ("a power strip supported by the solar tracker and configured to power the drive device") and Claim 18 ("a solar power strip coupled to each solar tracker and configured to supply power to the tracker controller and the at least one drive device"). If this provisional application discloses a solar power strip (or similar self-powering mechanism) on a solar tracker for powering its drive device and/or controller, it could directly anticipate these elements in Claims 1 and 18.

5. US Provisional Applications 62/360,857, 62/419,383, 62/419,386, and 62/492,870

Full Citations: U.S. Provisional Nos. 62/360,857 filed Jul. 11, 2016, 62/419,383 filed Nov. 8, 2016, 62/419,386 filed Nov. 8, 2016, and 62/492,870 filed May 1, 2017.
Publication/Filing Dates: July 11, 2016; November 8, 2016; November 8, 2016; May 1, 2017.
Brief Description: These are provisional applications from which US12158289 claims priority. They likely cover various aspects of the "Sensing and feedback for row on sun tracking method and system."
Potential Anticipation: As these are priority documents, the subject matter disclosed within them is generally considered part of the current patent's own effective filing date, not prior art against the current patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102. Rather, the content of these provisional applications would inform the scope of the claims and the novelty of the invention as a whole. However, if any element of the claims in US12158289 is not adequately supported or described in these provisional applications, then their filing dates would not apply to those specific elements, and other prior art could be relevant. Given that the current patent is a continuation of applications claiming priority to these provisionals, it's highly probable that the core inventive concepts of US12158289 are present in these documents.

Summary of Potential Anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102:

Claims 1, 13, 18 (Drive Device): US Pat. No. 9,905,717 and US Pat. No. 9,766,319 are highly likely to anticipate elements related to the basic drive mechanism for rotating a solar tracker.
Claims 1, 18 (Power Strip/Source): U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/095,670, particularly with its title "SELF-POWERED SOLAR TRACKER APPARATUS," is highly likely to anticipate the concept of a solar power strip/source on the tracker to power its components.
Claims 1, 13, 18 (Solar Tracker/Modules): US Pat. No. 10,008,975, while focused on a clamp, could potentially anticipate broader aspects of a "solar tracker supporting a plurality of solar modules" if its clamp assembly is described in sufficient detail to enable the construction and function of such a tracker.
Overall Novelty: The provisional applications (62/360,857, 62/419,383, 62/419,386, and 62/492,870) are the backbone of the priority claim for US12158289. Their contents would determine what aspects of US12158289 are considered novel as of their respective filing dates.