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 CFR 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/15/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 18, 24, and 31 have been considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant in pages 4-5 argues how each individual prior art is different from the instant application. However, Applicant failed to articulate reasons of why the combination of the references is improper (e.g., hindsight, lack of motivation, the primary reference teaches away, non-analogous art, etc.). Applicant is reminded that one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Applicant further argues in page 5 that Hasegawa is non-analogous art, however, Applicant does not give any rebuttal of how Hasegawa is not reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application] as explained in the previous (and current) rejections.
For the reasons discussed above the rejections below are deemed proper.
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.
Claim(s) 18-19, 24, 31-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang US 2019/0038101 in view of Zeng WO 2020/024489 and Chang WO 2020/080769 and Hasegawa JP 2014-181051 A.
Re claim 18, Jang teaches a robot cleaner 1 that autonomously cleans a surface, the robot cleaner comprising:
a body 30 (fig. 1);
a mop 40 (fig. 13) coupled to the body;
a water container 81 (fig. 13) detachably coupled [¶108] to one side of the body;
and a water pump 85 coupled to the water container to supply water to the mop through a water supply tube 86, wherein the water pump 85 is controlled based on a control signal input by a user through an external control device [¶61-62, ¶66 & ¶70].
While Jang appears to implicitly teach the control signal of the water pump is controlled through a user terminal separate from the cleaner, Jang does not teach wherein at least one of the control signals is a control signal that sets a water supply amount to be changed, and the water pump automatically supplies water based on the changed water supply amount.
However, Zeng teaches a robot cleaner [fig. 6] is controlled through a control signal that sets a water supply amount to be changed, and the water pump automatically supplies water based on the changed water supply amount [“[a] smart terminal (such as a smart phone) or a remote control is used to send a command for selecting a water outlet position to a micro control unit (MCU), and a smart terminal (such as a smart phone) can also be used to display the status of the water tank…the user selects a mid-range water outlet mode as an example. The user sends commands through a smart terminal (such as a smart phone), a remote control, or a control panel”.].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zeng into Jang in order to yield the predictable result of controlling the water injected to the mop through a smartphone.
Jang and Zeng do not teach wherein a warning message is displayed on a display of the external control device, when the water supply amount is set by the external control device is equal to or greater than a water level where water flows through the mop to the surface.
Chang teaches a robot cleaner external control device configured to display, on the control screen, a slider, wherein the slider (figs. 12-13) is a horizontal bar-shaped graphic user interface (GUI) object that is movable by sliding a target point left and right by a touch input by a user [“in FIG. 13, when the user inputs a control command to increase the suction power of the dust suction fan 177 (①), the processor 250 changes the suction power corresponding to the change in the suction power of the dust suction fan 177. The area of the cleaning area that can be cleaned can be calculated (②)”] and the suction power amount to be supplied by the robot cleaner, that is set by the touch input.
Hasegawa teaches a user interface that enables the user to visually recognize a change made to a slider (see Abstract). Specifically, Hasegawa teaches displaying a warning message and a change of color to a slider, in response to the target point being slid by the touch input between the preset point and the point corresponding to the maximum [“for example, as shown in the drawing, a notification message (warning message) “Warning that there is a risk of breaking!” Is displayed as a character string on the upper part of the image GBx, or the display color of the slider image SL is a color indicating a warning. The warning image SLx is displayed as a warning image SLx (for example, red), and the warning image SLx is blinked (the display attribute of the slider image SL is changed to warning content).”]
While Hasegawa is not in the same field of endeavor as Applicant’s invention, Hasegawa is still analogous art per MPEP 2141.01(a) because is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the slider of Chang and the warning of Hasegawa with the water-controlled system of Jang and Zheng, in order to yield the predictable result of easily inputting the amount of water supply to the mop and an intuitive navigation displays to the user while warning the user of a change in water amount.
Re claim 19, Jang further teaches wherein when the control signal is for setting a water supply amount [¶66], a driving time of the water pump is controlled to supply the set water supply amount to the mop based on the control signal [per ¶66, by controlling the amount of water per hour, the controller is automatically controlling a driving time of the water pump].
Re claim 24, Jang teaches a robot cleaning system (figs. 1 and 13) comprising:
a robot cleaner 1 configured to autonomously clean a surface,
the robot cleaner including:
a body 30;
a mop 40 coupled to the body;
a water container 81 coupled to the body; and
a water pump 85 coupled to the water container to supply water to the mop through a water supply tube 86; and
an external control device including a display for displaying a control screen [smartphone, see ¶61-62 & ¶70],
the external control device being configured to:
generate a control signal to control the water pump based on a user input inputted through the control screen [¶66 & ¶70]; and
transmit the control signal to the robot cleaner [¶61-62, ¶66 & ¶70].
While Jang appears to implicitly teach the control signal of the water pump is controlled through a user terminal separate from the cleaner, Jang does not teach wherein at least one of the control signals is a control signal that sets a water supply amount to be changed, and the water pump automatically supplies water based on the changed water supply amount.
However, Zeng teaches a robot cleaner [fig. 6] is controlled through a control signal that sets a water supply amount to be changed, and the water pump automatically supplies water based on the changed water supply amount [“[a] smart terminal (such as a smart phone) or a remote control is used to send a command for selecting a water outlet position to a micro control unit (MCU), and a smart terminal (such as a smart phone) can also be used to display the status of the water tank…the user selects a mid-range water outlet mode as an example. The user sends commands through a smart terminal (such as a smart phone), a remote control, or a control panel”.].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zeng into Jang in order to yield the predictable result of controlling the water injected to the mop through a smartphone.
Jang and Zeng do not teach wherein a warning message is displayed on a display of the external control device, when the water supply amount is set by the external control device is equal to or greater than a water level where water flows through the mop to the surface.
Chang teaches a robot cleaner external control device configured to display, on the control screen, a slider, wherein the slider (figs. 12-13) is a horizontal bar-shaped graphic user interface (GUI) object that is movable by sliding a target point left and right by a touch input by a user [“in FIG. 13, when the user inputs a control command to increase the suction power of the dust suction fan 177 (①), the processor 250 changes the suction power corresponding to the change in the suction power of the dust suction fan 177. The area of the cleaning area that can be cleaned can be calculated (②)”] and the suction power amount to be supplied by the robot cleaner, that is set by the touch input.
Hasegawa teaches a user interface that enables the user to visually recognize a change made to a slider (see Abstract). Specifically, Hasegawa teaches displaying a warning message and a change of color to a slider, in response to the target point being slid by the touch input between the preset point and the point corresponding to the maximum [“for example, as shown in the drawing, a notification message (warning message) “Warning that there is a risk of breaking!” Is displayed as a character string on the upper part of the image GBx, or the display color of the slider image SL is a color indicating a warning. The warning image SLx is displayed as a warning image SLx (for example, red), and the warning image SLx is blinked (the display attribute of the slider image SL is changed to warning content).”]
While Hasegawa is not in the same field of endeavor as Applicant’s invention, Hasegawa is still analogous art per MPEP 2141.01(a) because is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the slider of Chang and the warning of Hasegawa with the water-controlled system of Jang and Zheng, in order to yield the predictable result of easily inputting the amount of water supply to the mop and an intuitive navigation displays to the user while warning the user of a change in water amount.
Re claim 31, Jang teaches a control method of a robot cleaning system [¶61-62, ¶66 & ¶70],
the robot cleaning system including:
a robot cleaner 1 (fig. 1) configured to autonomously clean a surface, the robot cleaner including:
a body 30;
a mop 40 (fig. 13) coupled to the body;
a water container 81 coupled to the body; and
a water pump 85 coupled to the water container to supply water to the mop through a water supply tube 86; and
an external control device including a display for displaying a control screen [smartphone, see ¶61-62 & ¶70],
the control method comprising:
receiving, by the external device, a user input through the control screen; generating, by the external control device [¶61-62 & ¶70],
a control signal for controlling the water pump based on the user input [¶61-62];
transmitting, by the external control device, the control signal to the robot cleaner [¶61-62]; and
receiving, by the robot cleaner, the control signal and controlling the water pump according to the control signal [¶66].
While Jang appears to implicitly teach the control signal of the water pump is controlled through a user terminal separate from the cleaner, Jang does not teach wherein at least one of the control signals is a control signal that sets a water supply amount to be changed, and the water pump automatically supplies water based on the changed water supply amount.
However, Zeng teaches a robot cleaner [fig. 6] is controlled through a control signal that sets a water supply amount to be changed, and the water pump automatically supplies water based on the changed water supply amount [“[a] smart terminal (such as a smart phone) or a remote control is used to send a command for selecting a water outlet position to a micro control unit (MCU), and a smart terminal (such as a smart phone) can also be used to display the status of the water tank…the user selects a mid-range water outlet mode as an example. The user sends commands through a smart terminal (such as a smart phone), a remote control, or a control panel”.].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Zeng into Jang in order to yield the predictable result of controlling the water injected to the mop through a smartphone.
Jang and Zeng do not teach wherein a warning message is displayed on a display of the external control device, when the water supply amount is set by the external control device is equal to or greater than a water level where water flows through the mop to the surface.
Chang teaches a robot cleaner external control device configured to display, on the control screen, a slider, wherein the slider (figs. 12-13) is a horizontal bar-shaped graphic user interface (GUI) object that is movable by sliding a target point left and right by a touch input by a user [“in FIG. 13, when the user inputs a control command to increase the suction power of the dust suction fan 177 (①), the processor 250 changes the suction power corresponding to the change in the suction power of the dust suction fan 177. The area of the cleaning area that can be cleaned can be calculated (②)”] and the suction power amount to be supplied by the robot cleaner, that is set by the touch input.
Hasegawa teaches a user interface that enables the user to visually recognize a change made to a slider (see Abstract). Specifically, Hasegawa teaches displaying a warning message and a change of color to a slider, in response to the target point being slid by the touch input between the preset point and the point corresponding to the maximum [“for example, as shown in the drawing, a notification message (warning message) “Warning that there is a risk of breaking!” Is displayed as a character string on the upper part of the image GBx, or the display color of the slider image SL is a color indicating a warning. The warning image SLx is displayed as a warning image SLx (for example, red), and the warning image SLx is blinked (the display attribute of the slider image SL is changed to warning content).”]
While Hasegawa is not in the same field of endeavor as Applicant’s invention, Hasegawa is still analogous art per MPEP 2141.01(a) because is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the slider of Chang and the warning of Hasegawa with the water-controlled system of Jang and Zheng, in order to yield the predictable result of easily inputting the amount of water supply to the mop and an intuitive navigation displays to the user while warning the user of a change in water amount.
Re claim 32, Jang further teaches wherein the user input is for setting a water supply amount [¶66], and wherein the step of controlling the water pump of the robot cleaner includes controlling a driving time of the water pump to supply the set water supply amount to the mop [per ¶66, by controlling the amount of water per hour, the controller is automatically controlling a driving time of the water pump].
Claim(s) 25-27, 35-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang US 2019/0038101 in view of Zeng WO 2020/024489 and Chang WO 2020/080769 and Hasegawa JP 2014-181051 A and in further view of Fagan US 2016/0062618.
Re claims 25 and 35, Jang, Zeng, Chang, and Hasegawa teach the invention as discussed above for claims 24 and 31. Chang further teaches wherein the external control device is configured to display, on the control screen of the display, a slider.
The combination does not teach wherein the slider includes:
a first color displayed from a preset point of the slider to a right end point corresponding to a maximum water supply amount; a second color displayed from the preset point to a left end point.
Fagan teaches a graphical user interface [104, 124] (figs. 5-6) with a control bar 118 with slider 118 moved between two different color selections including one color from a preset point to the maximum end and a second color from the preset point to a minimum end to help the user understand max and min controls.
While Fagan is not in the same field of endeavor as Applicant’s invention, Fagan is still analogous art per MPEP 2141.01(a) because is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application].
The only difference between the claimed invention and the prior art is that the prior art does not incorporate the slider to control a water amount and using two colors to display between a slider preset input, and its ends into a single combined apparatus. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have had the technological capabilities to incorporate colors of Fagan to the slider of Jang and Chang into a combined apparatus before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. No inventive effort would have been required. Furthermore, the resulting combined apparatus would yield the predictable result of providing intuitive navigation displays to the user. No new functionality would arise from the combination. The functionality of the combined apparatus would be the same as if one had used the slider of Jang and Chang with the colors of Fagan.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine a slider with a first color displayed from a preset point of the slider to a right end point; a second color displayed from the preset point to a left end point in Jang and Chang, as suggested by Fagan, in order to yield the predictable result of providing intuitive navigation displays to the user.
Re claims 26 and 36, Jang, Zeng, Chang, Hasegawa and Fagan teach the invention as discussed above for claims 25 and 35 but fail to teach wherein the external control device is configured to convert an entirety of the slider to the first color and display a warning message below the slider, in response to the target point being slid by the touch input between the preset point and the point corresponding to the maximum water supply amount on the control screen.
It is noted that the choice of position of the message would depend on the size and spaces of the user interface and the slider, and absent any reason that displaying the message below the slider or using the first color to the entirety of the slider is of any patentable significance, the limitations are construed as a matter of design choice.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to convert an entirety of the slider to the first color and display a warning message below the slider, in response to the target point being slid by the touch input between the preset point and the point corresponding to the maximum water supply amount on the control screen in the combination as a matter of design choice and in order to yield the predictable result of providing intuitive navigation displays to the user while warning the user of a change in water amount.
Re claim 27, Jang, Zeng, Chang, Hasegawa and Fagan teach the invention as discussed above for claim 25. Jang further teaches wherein the control signal corresponds to information on the set water supply amount displaying the set water supply amount [¶110].
Claim(s) 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang US 2019/0038101 in view of Zeng WO 2020/024489 and Chang WO 2020/080769 and Hasegawa JP 2014-181051 A and in further view of Fadell US 10,241,527.
Re claim 28, Jang, Zeng, Chang, and Hasegawa teach the invention as discussed above for claim 24. Jang further teaches wherein the external control device is configured to: generate the control signal for setting the wet mode to the robot cleaner and transmit the control signal to the robot cleaner in response to receiving the user input for selecting the mop wet item [¶61-62, ¶66 & ¶70].
The combination does not teach the external control device is configured to display a mop wet item for setting a wet mode of the mop on the control screen.
Fadell teaches “a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing intuitive navigation within a menuing system” (see Abstract). Fadell teaches displaying a mode setting on the control screen [HEATING, figs. 5A-5C; and COOLING, fig. 15].
While Fadell is not in the same field of endeavor as Applicant’s invention, Fadell is still analogous art per MPEP 2141.01(a) because is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the displaying of a mode setting of Fadell with the cleaning interface of Jang to display a mop wet item for setting a wet mode of the mop on the control screen, in order to yield the predictable result of providing intuitive navigation displays to the user.
Claim(s) 37 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang US 2019/0038101 in view of Zeng WO 2020/024489 and Chang WO 2020/080769 and Hasegawa JP 2014-181051 A and Fagan US 2016/0062618 and further view of Fadell US 10,241,527.
Re claim 37, Jang, Zeng, Chang, Hasegawa, and Fagan teach the invention as discussed above for claim 36. Jang further teaches wherein the external control device generates the control signal for setting the wet mode to the robot cleaner and transmits the control signal to the robot cleaner, in response to receiving the user input for selecting the mop wet item [¶61-62, ¶66 & ¶70].
The combination does not teach the external control device is configured to display a mop wet item for setting a wet mode of the mop on the control screen.
Fadell teaches “a user interface that is visually pleasing, approachable, and easy to use while also providing intuitive navigation within a menuing system” (see Abstract). Fadell teaches displaying a mode setting on the control screen [HEATING, figs. 5A-5C; and COOLING, fig. 15].
While Fadell is not in the same field of endeavor as Applicant’s invention, Fadell is still analogous art per MPEP 2141.01(a) because is reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor of using an interface to intuitively grasping the degree of a variable [¶223 of instant application].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the displaying of a mode setting of Fadell with the cleaning interface of Jang to display a mop wet item for setting a wet mode of the mop on the control screen, in order to yield the predictable result of providing intuitive navigation displays to the user.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos A. Rivera whose telephone number is (571)270-5697. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM -4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached on (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723