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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CRF 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/28/2026 has been entered.
Status
In response to the amendment filed on 01/28/2026, claims 1, 12, and 15 have been amended. Claims 3 and 4 were previously cancelled, and claims 12-15 were previously withdrawn. Claims 1, 2, and 5-11 are pending and under examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 43, the phrase may be amended as “wherein the history data include[[s]] a previously stored cleaning map …”
A word in a parenthesis has no patentable weight. The term “(buffer)” recited in claims 1 and 13 may be deleted.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5-8, 10, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over So et al. (EP 3335608A1, hereinafter So), in view of Howard et al. (US 2020/0315418, hereinafter Howard), Santigny (CN 205091616U), Koga et al. (JP 2017140350A, hereinafter Koga), Kwon et al. (KR 20140096692A, hereinafter Kwon), Ebrahimi Afrouzi et al. (US 2020/0225673, hereinafter Ebrahimi), and Zhou (US 2019/0021567).
Regarding claim 1, So discloses a method for controlling an operation of a mobile robot based on floor environment sensing in a mobile robot operation control apparatus (abstract, a method for controlling a robot cleaner 100 based on a detected floor state), comprising:
a measured current value acquiring step of acquiring a current value or a voltage value measured from a motor which is equipped in a mobile robot to operate (¶ 0192, the robot cleaner 100 includes a current sensor 144 configured to measure a current of a brush motor 131a).
But So does not disclose explicitly a statistical feature value calculating step of calculating at least one statistical feature value based on the current value or the voltage value.
Howard teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, a surface cleaner control method comprising a statistical feature value calculating step of calculating at least one statistical feature value based on the current value or the voltage value (Specification of the instant application describes, in p. 11:6-11, that the statistical feature values are an average and a standard deviation; Howard, ¶ 0032, a surface type determining method 200 includes calculating an average current value).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mobile robot control method of So to provide the step of calculating at least one statistical feature as taught by Howard. A use of the average current value calculated from two or more measurement values for comparison with a threshold value can result in better floor type determination than using individual measurement values (Howard, ¶ 0016-17).
So as modified by Howard further teaches the method comprising:
a floor environment sensing step of sensing a final floor environment mode by comparing at least one statistical feature value and a predetermined determination reference value (So ¶ 0194, a controller 110 compares the current measured by the current sensor 144 and a predetermined reference value); and
an operation control step of controlling an operation of the mobile robot based on a sensing result of the final floor environment mode (So ¶ 0211, the controller 110 controls suction force based on the detected load applied to a brush 131b),
wherein in the statistical feature value calculating step, a first statistical feature value is calculated by calculating an average of the current value or the voltage value acquired for a predetermined time (Howard, ¶ 0032 and fig. 2, the surface type determining method 200 includes calculating an average current value corresponding to a predetermined time window).
However, So as modified by Howard does not disclose a second statistical feature value is calculated by calculating a standard deviation of the current value or the voltage value acquired for the predetermined time.
Santigny teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, a method of controlling a mobile floor cleaning robot, wherein a second statistical feature value is calculated by calculating a standard deviation of the current value or the voltage value acquired for the predetermined time (Santigny English translation, abstract, the floor cleaning robot detects a floor type; p. 8:35-52, a controller 128 calculates a power signal out of current measurements of a motor 113. In a floor type determination method, an average and a standard deviation of the power signal within a sampling period (corresponds to the recited predetermined time) are calculated).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mobile robot control method of So as modified by Howard to provide the method of calculating the standard deviation of the current value as taught by Santigny because the standard deviation value along with the average value are analyzed in determination of a soft floor surface and a hard floor surface (Santigny English translation, p. 8:45-52).
So as modified by Howard and Santigny further teaches the mobile robot operation control method, wherein in the floor environment sensing step, the first statistical feature value and the second statistical feature value are compared with a first determination reference value and a second determination value, respectively, to sense one of a first floor environment mode and a second floor environment mode (Santigny English translation, p. 8:37-52, the average and standard deviation values of the measured current values are calculated; Howard ¶ 0038 and fig. 2, the average current value is compared to a hard surface threshold and a carpet threshold in determining a floor type in steps 212, 214. Therefore, So as modified by Howard and Santigny teaches statistical feature values can be compared with the reference values to determine a floor type),
But So as modified by Howard and Santigny does not disclose in the floor environment sensing step, dividing a plurality of sections for the first determination reference value and setting a 1-1st determination reference value with the same value as the first determination reference value and setting a 1-2nd determination reference value with adding a predetermined threshold value to the first determination reference value, the plurality of sections includes a section for the first floor environment mode, a section for the second floor environment mode, and a section for determination holding of the floor environment mode,
wherein in the floor environment sensing step, dividing a plurality of sections for a second determination reference value and setting a 2-1st determination reference value with the same value as the second determination reference value and setting a 2-2nd determination reference value with adding a predetermined threshold value to the second determination reference value, the plurality of sections includes a section for maintaining the floor environment, a section for changing the floor environment, and a section for determination holding of the floor environment changes,
wherein in the floor environment sensing step, the final floor environment mode is determined based on a combination of a first determination result section and a second determination result section, each derived from the first statistical feature value and the second statistical feature value and their respective segmented determination reference values including holding and transition sections, and
wherein in the floor environment sensing step, the first determination result section is the section for the first floor environment mode or the second floor environment mode, the second determination result section is the section for determination holding of the floor environment changes, when a determination holding state in which the section for determination holding for the floor environment changes is continued for a predetermined time, determines that it is a boundary area in which the floor environment is changed.
Koga teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, in the floor environment sensing step, dividing a plurality of sections for the first determination reference value and setting a 1-1st determination reference value with the same value as the first determination reference value and setting a 1-2nd determination reference value with adding a predetermined threshold value to the first determination reference value, the plurality of sections includes a section for the first floor environment mode, a section for the second floor environment mode, and a section for determination holding of the floor environment mode, wherein in the floor environment sensing step, dividing a plurality of sections for a second determination reference value and setting a 2-1st determination reference value with the same value as the second determination reference value and setting a 2-2nd determination reference value with adding a predetermined threshold value to the second determination reference value, the plurality of sections includes a section for maintaining the floor environment, a section for changing the floor environment, and a section for determination holding of the floor environment changes, and wherein in the floor environment sensing step, the final floor environment mode is determined based on a combination of a first determination result section and a second determination result section, each derived from the first statistical feature value and the second statistical feature value and their respective segmented determination reference values including holding and transition sections, and wherein in the floor environment sensing step, the first determination result section is the section for the first floor environment mode or the second floor environment mode, the second determination result section is the section for determination holding of the floor environment changes, when a determination holding state in which the section for determination holding for the floor environment changes is continued for a predetermined time, determines that it is a boundary area in which the floor environment is changed (Koga English translation, p. 11:37-12:24 and figs. 18-20, a robot vacuum determines a floor surface type. In determination, detection signals having wave heights and amplitudes are analyzed wherein the wave heights represent values of the detected signals which could be voltage or current, and a change of the wave amplitudes represents a standard deviation of the signals. If an amplitude of a detection signal is equal or smaller than a first determination value [corresponds to the recited 1-1st determination reference value or 2-1st determination reference value], the floor type is determined to be a first surface [corresponds to the recited first environment mode]. If the amplitude of the detection signal is larger than a second determination value [corresponds to the recited 1-2st determination reference value or 2-2nd determination reference value], the floor type is determined to be a third surface [corresponds to the second environment mode]. Koga teaches the floor surface type [corresponds to the recited floor environment] determination is made by considering both the average and standard deviation of the signals, and by setting two determination values and providing the surface types in three sections wherein the small standard deviation and small average change represent a surface such as a flat/hard surface and the large standard deviation and large average change represent a deformable surface such as a carpet. The signal values between the first determination value and the second determination value are a section for determination holding of the floor environment changes. Koga discloses a middle section represents a floor between the flat surface and a deformable surface, thus it represents the determination holding section. In addition, the first and second determination values are set as predetermined sections, thus the second determination value is considered to be determined by adding a predetermined threshold value from the first determination value. Although Koga does not disclose explicitly the method of floor type determination by calculating the two statistical feature values separately, Koga teaches detection and analysis of floor type detection signals include consideration of the average values and the standard deviation values).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the control method of So as modified by Howard and Santigny to provide the plurality of sections for the determination reference as taught by Koga so that a vacuum device can set appropriate suction force depending on the floor surface type. It helps a power supply unit of the vacuum device to use the electric power efficiently (Koga English translation, p. 12:40-46).
So as modified by Howard, Santigny, and Koga still does not disclose in the floor environment sensing step, the first determination result section is the section for determining holding for the floor environment mode, when a determination holding state in which the section for determination holding for the floor environment mode is continued for a predetermined time, determining whether the measured current value is increased due to an external factor based on history data.
Kwon teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, the plurality of sections includes a section for determination holding of the floor environment mode, and in the floor environment sensing step, the first determination result section is the section for determining holding for the floor environment mode, when a determination holding state in which the section for determination holding for the floor environment mode is continued for a predetermined time, determining whether the measured current value is increased due to an external factor based on history data (Kwon English translation, p. 12:10-13 and 12:29-32, a cleaning robot detects the voltages of sensors. If a waveform signal length exceeds a reference, a floor is determined to be a hard surface. If the signal length is less than the reference, the floor is determined to be a soft surface; p. 8:5-6, 9:24-27, and 10:2-8, when a signal amplitude is attenuated, the cleaning robot can calculate a holding time from a detection point when the signal amplitude is maintained at a predetermined magnitude with respect to the hard/soft surface; p. 21:37-39, in the holding time, the cleaning robot compares the detected holding time with a plurality of reference holding times to search for a reference holding time that matches the detected holding time, and determines the information on the floor having the detected reference holding time. Thus, the device of Kwon determines a holding state out of the detected signals and compares the detected holding signal with the reference data to determine the floor condition. The difference from the reference data would be considered as an external factor when a floor type is determined to be changed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the control method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, and Koga to provide the determination method of holding state as taught by Kwon so that the cleaning robot can determine whether there is interference in detection of the floor type detection wave. (Kwon English translation, p. 9:28-29). It will help increasing accuracy of the floor surface type determination.
So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, and Kwon does not disclose the history data includes a previously stored cleaning map generated based on a camera image or a Lidar sensor and floor environment mode information about at least one point set in the cleaning map. Although Kwon teaches comparing the current data with the plurality of reference/history data, Kwon does not disclose the data include the cleaning map generated based on a camera image or a Lidar sensor and floor environment mode information.
Ebrahimi teaches, in an analogous cleaning robot field of endeavor, the history data includes a previously stored cleaning map generated based on a camera image or a Lidar sensor and floor environment mode information about at least one point set in the cleaning map (abstract, Ebrahimi teaches capturing data using an image sensor disposed on a robot, processing the data, and executing the robot to act based on the analysis of the data; ¶ 0355, a processor of the robot obtains sensor data including Lidar data and generate a map data which includes the floor type data. Because the data is the map-based data, it would include the sensor data of a particular area on the map; ¶ 0218, the map is stored in memory for future use and a new map is constructed at each use. The processor of Ebrahimi is mainly for identifying travel path determination, but Ebrahimi teaches generating and utilizing the map-based data. Since the map is stored for the future use, it is considered as the history data. Kwon may utilize the map-based data in its floor type determination analysis)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the floor environment sensing step of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, and Kwon to provide the map-based history data as taught by Ebrahimi so that the processor identifies traversability of an area for the robot to take action based on the condition of the area which includes the floor type (Ebrahimi ¶ 0355).
So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, and Kwon, and Ebrahimi does not disclose determining whether the measured current value is increased due to the external factor includes determining that the measured current value is increased due to the external factor when, for a same cleaning point indicated by the history data, the first determination result section in a current routine is different from the first determination result section in a past routine.
Zhou teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, determining whether the measured current value is increased due to the external factor includes determining that the measured current value is increased due to the external factor when, for a same cleaning point indicated by the history data, the first determination result section in a current routine is different from the first determination result section in a past routine (¶ 0003, Zhou discloses a vacuum cleaner having a control unit and a detection unit which detects current of a floor brush, and the control unit controls a vacuum motor according to the detected current; ¶ 0026-37, the cleaner may stop a floor brush operation when an external force is applied. The control unit determines a stall current of the floor brush according to a start current and a preset current range [corresponds to the recited past statistical feature value]. Therefore, the cleaner distinguishes the external load from the load associated with the floor type, and it can be controlled to maintain an operating state or stop according to the normal operating current and the stall current. The first determination result section is derived from the first statistical feature value which is the average value, thus it can be represented by the current and past average current values. Zhou teaches identifying the external factor in forms of the external force by comparing the current data and the history data).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mobile robot control method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, and Kwon, and Ebrahimi to provide the control method in case of the additional load application as taught by Zhou in order to avoid the problem of unstable cleaner operation by eliminating potential safety hazards (Zhou ¶ 0037)
Regarding claim 2, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 1, wherein in the measured current value acquiring step, the current value or the voltage value in accordance with the rotating operation of a main brush is acquired from the motor connected to the main brush of the mobile robot (So ¶ 0192, the robot cleaner 100 measures the current of the brush motor 131a).
Regarding claim 5, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the floor environment sensing step includes: a floor environment mode identifying step of identifying a currently set floor environment mode during the operation of the mobile robot; a first determining step of determining a current floor environment mode by comparing the first statistical feature value with the first determination reference value and comparing the second statistical feature value with the second determination value; and a floor environment mode determining step of determining a final floor environment mode based on a determination result (Howard ¶ 0028-34 and fig. 2, the surface type determining method 200 includes 1) calculating the average current value in step 208; 2) comparing the average current value to a surface threshold in step 210; and 3) determining the floor type in steps 212, 214; Santigny English translation, p. 8:37-52, the method uses both the average value (corresponds to the first statistical feature value) and the standard deviation value (corresponds to the recited second statistical feature value) of the current measurements in the floor type determination).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the controlling method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the final floor environment mode determining step so that a robot vacuum can clean the surface effectively by setting appropriate vacuuming parameters.
Regarding claim 7, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 5, wherein when in the floor environment mode identifying step, the currently set floor environment is a first floor environment, in the first determining step, if the first statistical feature value is equal to or higher than the first determination reference value and the second statistical feature value is equal to or higher than the second determination value, it is determined that the current floor environment is the second floor environment mode (Howard ¶ 0028-34 and fig. 2, the surface type determining method 200 includes 1) setting initial mode as a hard surface operation mode (corresponds to the recited first floor environment) in step 202; 2) comparing average current value to a hard surface threshold in step 210; and 3) determining a carpet operation mode (corresponds to the recited second floor environment) if the average current value exceeds the hard surface threshold in step 212; Santigny English translation, p. 8:37-52, the method uses both the average value (corresponds to the first statistical feature value) and the standard deviation value (corresponds to the recited second statistical feature value) of the current measurements in the floor type determination).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the controlling method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the second floor environment mode determining step so that a robot vacuum can clean the surface effectively by setting appropriate vacuuming parameters.
Regarding claim 8, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 7, further comprising: a second determining step of additionally determining the current floor environment mode based on a state maintaining time of the second floor environment mode when the current floor environment is determined as the second floor environment mode, wherein in the second determining step, if it is determined that the second floor environment mode is maintained for a predetermined time or longer, it is confirmed that the current floor environment is the second floor environment mode (Howard ¶ 0028-34 and fig. 2, the surface type determining method 200 includes 1) determining the carpet operational mode (corresponds to the recited second floor environment mode) in the first determining step 212; 2) calculating an average current value in a predetermined time window in step 220; and 3) determining to remain in the carpet operational mode if at least one average current value exceeds a carpet threshold in step 226).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the controlling method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the second floor environment mode determining step so that a robot vacuum can clean the surface effectively by setting appropriate vacuuming parameters.
Regarding claim 10, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 5, wherein when in the floor environment mode identifying step, the currently set floor environment is the second floor environment mode, in the first determining step, if the first statistical feature value is lower than the first determination reference value and the second statistical feature value is lower than the second determination value, it is determined that the current floor environment is the first floor environment mode (Howard ¶ 0028-34 and fig. 2, the surface type determining method 200 includes 1) determining the carpet operational mode (corresponds to the recited second floor environment) in the first determining step 212; 2) calculating an average current value in a predetermined time window in step 220; and 3) determining to change to the hard surface operational mode (corresponds to the recited first floor environment) if the average current value does not exceed the carpet threshold in step 224).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the controlling method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the first floor environment mode determining step so that a robot vacuum can clean the surface effectively by setting appropriate vacuuming parameters.
Regarding claim 11, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 10, wherein in the floor environment mode determining step, if the current floor environment mode is changed from the second floor environment mode to the first floor environment mode, the first floor environment mode is determined as the final floor environment mode to set operation control of the mobile robot corresponding to the first floor environment mode (Howard ¶ 0028-34 and fig. 2 steps 216, 222, 224, 204, the surface type determining method 200 includes changing the carpet operational mode (corresponds to the recited second floor environment mode) to the hard surface operation mode (corresponds to the recited first floor environment mode) as a final mode if the average current value exceeds the carpet threshold).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the controlling method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the final floor environment mode determining step so that a robot vacuum can clean the surface effectively by setting appropriate vacuuming parameters.
Regarding claim 6, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 1, wherein in the statistical feature value calculating step, an additional load applied to the main brush due to an additional factor independent from the floor environment is predicted by comparing a current statistical feature value according to a current operation routine of the mobile robot and a past statistical feature value according to a past operation routine and a statistical feature value is calculated by excluding an error according to the predicted additional load from the acquired current value or voltage value (Zhou ¶ 0003, Zhou discloses a vacuum cleaner having a control unit and a detection unit which detects current of a floor brush, and the control unit controls a vacuum motor according to the detected current; ¶ 0026-37, the cleaner may stop a floor brush operation when an external force is applied. The control unit determines a stall current of the floor brush according to a start current and a preset current range [corresponds to the recited past statistical feature value]. Therefore, the cleaner distinguishes the external load from the load associated with the floor type, and it can be controlled to maintain an operating state or stop according to the normal operating current and the stall current).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mobile robot control method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the control method in case of the additional load application as taught by Zhou in order to avoid the problem of unstable cleaner operation by eliminating potential safety hazards (Zhou ¶ 0037)
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over So in view of Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou, as applied to claim 8 above, and in further view of Mark et al. (GB 2572433A, hereinafter Mark) and Shigeto et al. (US 2018/0206686, hereinafter Shigeto).
Regarding claim 9, So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou teaches the mobile robot operation control method as in the rejection of claim 8, wherein in the floor environment mode determining step, if it is confirmed that the current floor environment mode is the second floor environment mode, the second floor environment mode is determined as the final floor environment mode to set operation control of the mobile robot corresponding to the second floor environment mode (Howard ¶ 0028-34 and fig. 2, the surface type determining method 200 includes determining the carpet operation mode [corresponds to the recited second floor environment mode] as a final floor environment mode in step 226) and in the operation control step, when the floor environment mode is determined as the second floor environment mode, the operation of the mobile robot is controlled to decrease the driving force of the movement motor to be inversely proportional to the floor resistance of the second floor environment mode (So ¶ 0018 and 0173, a controller determines the floor state on the basis of wheel motor information. As the load is applied to a traveling wheel according to the floor state, an RPM of the wheel motor 121 may be reduced when the cleaner is on the soft floor [corresponds to the recited second floor environment mode]), but does not disclose the operation of the mobile robot is controlled to increase driving forces of the main brush motor and a cleaning suction motor to be proportional to a floor resistance of the second floor environment mode.
Mark teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, a control method of a vacuum cleaner wherein the operation of the mobile robot is controlled to increase driving forces of a cleaning suction motor to be proportional to a floor resistance of the second floor environment mode (p. 13:10-12, a controller of the cleaner monitors electrical load of a motor, compares the load to a threshold, and adjust the electrical power to a vacuum motor; p. 4:16-17, the controller may be configured to increase the power delivered to the vacuum motor to an upper level when the applied load is above the threshold).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mobile robot control method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, and Zhou to provide the control method of increasing the driving forces of the cleaning suction motor as taught by Mark so that the cleaner adapts to different floor types so as to maximize overall cleaning performance (Mark p. 2:29-30).
Additionally, Shigeto teaches, in an analogous cleaning field of endeavor, a method of controlling an autonomous cleaner wherein in wherein the operation of the mobile robot is controlled to increase driving forces of the main brush motor and a cleaning suction motor (¶ 0401, a control unit 70 may increase rotation speed of a brush driving motor 41; ¶ 0437, the control unit of the autonomous cleaner may increase the suction force of the electric fan. Although Shigeto does not present a situation that the controller increases the driving force of the brush motor and the suction motor in response to the floor type detection, it teaches the controller of the robot cleaner is capable of controlling the brush motor and the suction motor in response to a cleaning condition).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the mobile robot control method of So as modified by Howard, Santigny, Koga, Kwon, Ebrahimi, Zhou, and Mark to provide the control method of increasing the driving forces of the main brush motor and the cleaning suction motor as taught by Shigeto so that the cleaner can pick up the rubbish in an effective manner in a situation where the increased force is required for cleaning (Shigeto ¶ 0437).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 U.S.C. §103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Ebrahimi and Zhou.
Applicant argues Kwon does not teach or suggest the recited floor environment sensing step. Applicant asserts Kwon does not teach or suggest the amended claim limitations that the history data includes a cleaning map generated based on a camera image or a Lidar sensor and floor environment mode information about at least one point set in the cleaning map.
Examiner acknowledges that Kwon teaches using the reference data/history data in determination of the floor type. However, Kwon does not disclose the reference data are the map-based data including the floor environment mode information.
However, Ebrahimi teaches the control of a cleaning robot and a processor of the robot utilizes a map including data such as Lidar sensor data and floor type data (¶ 0355). The map is updated with new data (¶ 0218). Therefore, the map and the included data are the history data to be compared with the recently obtained data.
Applicant also argues Kwon does not teach or suggest the amended claim limitations that determining whether the measured current value is increased due to the external factor wherein the first determination result section in a current routine is different from that in a past routine. Although Kwon analyzes waveform signals to determine a floor type, it does not disclose explicitly a determination method includes the measured current being increased due to the external factor.
Zhou teaches current data of a vacuum motor is measured and compared with the preset current data which are equivalent to the data in the past routine. An external force would be considered as an external factor which may stop floor brush of a cleaner according to the detected current (¶ 0026-37). Thus, Zhou teaches the increase of the current value due to the external factor.
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Kwon does not teach or suggest the recited floor environment sensing step includes dividing the first determination reference value into the plurality of sections (1-1st and 1-2nd determination reference values) determine the first and second floor environment modes and the holding section, the floor environment sensing step also includes dividing the second determination reference value into the plurality of sections (2-1st and 2-2nd determination reference values) to determine the maintaining, changing, and holding sections, and the final floor environment mode is determined based on a combination of the first determination result section and the second determination result section. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
The specification and claims of the instant application explain the average of the current value or the voltage value is compared with the first determination reference value, and the standard deviation of the current value or the voltage value is compared with the second determination reference value. Therefore, the floor type determination method of the instant application is measuring current or voltage signals, calculating the average and standard deviation data, and comparing the average data with the average reference values comprising the plurality of sections and the standard deviation data with the standard deviation reference values comprising the plurality of sections.
For example, specification of the instant application presents, in p. 45:5-10, when both the first and second determination result sections correspond to the third section, the mobile robot operation control apparatus 100 determines the first floor environment mode is changed to the second floor environment mode. The second floor environment mode is carpet (p. 12:23-24). In comparison, Koga teaches, in Koga English translation, p. 12:4-28, fig. 20 shows an example of detected signals when a cleaner travels on a third surface wherein the third surface is a carpet. The signals show remarkably large wave height and amplitude. Thus, Koga teaches the use of average and standard deviation of the detected signals in determination of the floor type. Koga also defines three sections wherein the first section represents a flat surface and the third section represents a carpet (p. 11:37-43). Thus, the Koga is able to identify the change of floor type when the floor type of a boundary area changes from the second section (equivalent to the holding section) to the first section or the third section.
Applicant also argues Kwon also does not teach or suggest dividing the plurality of sections for the second determination reference value and setting the 2-1st determination reference value equal to the first determination reference value and the 2-2nd determination reference values with adding the predetermined threshold value to the second determination reference value. Applicant states the floor environment sensing step of the current application is different from the cited references. For example, the determination or hold out of the holding section or into the holding section is based on analysis of the first determination result section and the second determination result section. Applicant asserts none of cited references uses the dual criteria determination logic, the hold state logic, boundary detection, and history driven decision algorithm. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
The use of the first and second determination result sections are analysis of average and standard deviation analysis. Although the cited references do not use the same nomenclature of the instant application, they use the average and standard deviation values to determine two different floor types and a holding status between the two floor types. Comparing the current data with the preset data is practically the analysis of the history data.
Kwon teaches the method of determining the holding state when the determination holding for the floor environment mode is continued for a predetermined time due to an external factor based on history data. Specification and claim of presents scenarios when the average and standard deviation signals are in the middle sections because they are not clearly small or large so that it is not certain whether the floor type changes from one floor environment mode to the other floor environment mode. The method includes determining whether the measured value is increased due to an external factor based on history data when the determination holding for the floor environment mode is continued for a predetermined time.
Kwon teaches determining a floor type based on analysis of the waveforms wherein the waveforms are calculated from the measured data of sensors. The cleaning robot compares the detected holding time with a plurality of reference holding times to search for a reference holding time that matches the detected holding time, and determines the information on the floor having the detected reference holding time (Kwon English translation, p. 8:5-6, 9:24-27, 10:2-8, and 21:37-39). Thus, the comparison with the reference holding time is equivalent to referencing the history data of the instant application.
Therefore, the cited references do not disclose explicitly the 1-1st, 1-2nd, 2-1st, and 2-2nd determination reference values in analysis of the measured signal average and standard deviation data in determination of the floor type. However, the cited references teach the principle of the use of the recited floor type determination method. For the reasons above, the arguments are not persuasive.
Conclusion
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/SUKWOO JAMES CHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 3723