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 .
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“cleaning assembly” in claim 1, line 1 and claim 27, line 5.
“washing assembly” in claim 1, lines 2-3, claim 16, line 6, and claim 20, line 6.
“water level monitoring module” in claim 5, lines 3-4.
“charging module” in claim 12, line 3.
“air exhaust module” in claim 13, line 3.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 16-17 and 24 are 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 16, line 6 recites “the cleaning assembly” and there is no antecedent basis for this.
Claim 24, lines 3-4 recites “a relative position” and claim 15 recites the same element.
Claim 24, lines 6-7 recites “a third rate” and there is no antecedent basis for this due to no first or second rate having been recited.
Claim 17 is rejected for depending on claim 16.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 15, 16, 20 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (EP 3542695 A1).
As to claim 15, Zhang includes a control method for a cleaning system, wherein the cleaning system comprises a cleaning device (2) and a charging pile (1, which has charging device 14; para 88), and the method comprises:
acquiring a current working state of the cleaning device (The cleaning robot 2 automatically returns to the base station 1 after the mop member 22111 works for a period of time. The current working state is the amount of time that the cleaning device worked; para 46);
after determining that the cleaning device is in a preset working state (The state of the cleaner having worked for said period of time; para 46), determining a relative position (The position the cleaner is relative to base station 1) of the cleaning device with respect to the charging pile (The cleaning system inherently determines its position relative to 1 so that it can return to 1); and
applying a driving force to a driving wheel of the cleaning device based on the relative position, so that the cleaning device is controlled to move with respect to the charging pile (The cleaning system inherently guides cleaning device 2 to 1 based on 2’s position in comparison to 1) or to be kept at the charging pile (Once 2 is at 1, it remains there so that mop member 22111 can be cleaned).
As to claim 16, wherein determining that the cleaning device is in the preset working state comprises: determining that the cleaning device is in the preset working state if the cleaning device is in at least one of the following working states (For claim 16, the current working state is 2 on the way back to 1, the preset working state is 2 being cleaned by cleaning fluid flowing out of fluid discharge structure 114 [para 94], and the relative position is 2 being at 1): collecting garbage in a dust box of the cleaning device into a dust collecting chamber of the charging pile; and
cleaning a cleaning assembly (22111) of the cleaning device by a washing assembly (111, 112, 113, 114) on the charging pile (2 is cleaned by 114; para 94).
As to claim 20, wherein determining that the cleaning device is in the preset working state comprises: determining that the cleaning device is in the preset working state if the cleaning device is in at least one of the following working states (For claim 20, the current working state is 2 on the way back to 1, the preset working state is 2 being cleaned by cleaning fluid flowing out of fluid discharge structure 114 [para 94], and the relative position is 2 being at 1):
collecting garbage in a dust box of the cleaning device into a dust collecting chamber of the charging pile;
cleaning a cleaning assembly (22111) of the cleaning device by a washing assembly (111, 112, 113, 114) on the charging pile (2 is cleaned by 114; para 94); and
charging the cleaning device by the charging pile (para 102).
As to claim 28, Zhang includes an electronic device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, for storing an instruction executable by the processor,
wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instruction to perform the control method for a cleaning system according to claim 15 (A processor carrying out an instruction and a memory are inherently required to lead 2 to 1 automatically; para 46).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 9-13 and 27 are allowed.
Claims 17 and 23 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 24 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The best reference, Zhang (EP 3542695 A1), does not include the cleaning device having a first posture (orientation) when a charging pile (a device for charging batteries) performs a washing task on a cleaning device (the cleaning robot), and following that, guiding the cleaning device to exit from the charging pile, and then enter the pile while having a second posture (orientation), with the second posture being different from the first posture, as included in claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW A. HORTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica S. Carter can be reached at (571) 272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723