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 .
This action is in response to the RCE filed 04/06/2026 in which claims 1, 7, 11 have been amended.
Claims 1-5, 7-9, 11-15 are rejected.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/06/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/6/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant repeatedly contrasts the “technical objectives” of the claimed invention (user-driven setting) with those of Zhou (system-driven division), and characterizes Zhou as taking the “exact opposite” approach. The Office notes that the purpose or motivation of the reference is not controlling. A reference is available for all that it teaches to one of ordinary skill, including embodiments and disclosures outside the reference’s primary stated objective. See MPEP § 2123(I)–(II). That Zhou also discloses automatic, condition-based division (shaded regions, obstacles, battery capacity, vegetation) does not negate Zhou’s separate and explicit disclosure of user-defined regions, user-assigned region attributes, graphical display of the mapped working region, and user adjustment of the division/path plan, as detailed below.
Applicant argues that the Zhou publication does not disclose or suggest using a graphical interface displaying the working area to enable a user to set a portion of an individual enclosed area as being "outside the boundary of the working area," further setting a portion of the enclosed area that overlaps with the existing working area as a "small district," and automatically setting a traveling route of the working robot to perform work within the small district when the processor sets the small district as the working "working district," as now recited in amended claim 1.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees for the following reasons.
Point-by-point response:
(i) “User input through a graphical interface displaying the working area”
Applicant’s argument that Zhou’s division is performed “entirely by the system… with no user input” is unpersuasive. Zhou discloses at:
¶ 0159: “the mobile station includes a second interface for connecting to the intelligent terminal of the user. The intelligent terminal such as a mobile phone and a tablet may be installed on the mobile station… the intelligent terminal is installed on the mobile station and displays in real time information recorded by the mobile station… In another embodiment, the mobile station includes a display screen displaying information in real time.” Zhou thus expressly discloses a graphical interface displaying the working area/map information.
¶ 0161: “every time the user walks to form a closed region, the user uses a button to input a map generation instruction to generate map information of the closed region.” This is user input defining a closed (i.e., enclosed) region.
¶ 0161 (continuing): “On the generated map, an attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region” — boundary attribute, obstacle attribute, or passage attribute.
¶ 0179: “a path plan is autonomously generated by a path generation module, and certainly may be alternatively manually adjusted by the user according to the condition of the working region.”
¶ 0233–0234: “the passage is separately presented. For example, the passage is marked when a map is created, or the passage is recognized by using a recognition algorithm” and “A passage division technology… is used to recognize a passage or a user defines a passage, so that the self-moving device considers the front yard and the back yard as two independent regions.”
¶ 0188: “a return path may be alternatively recorded by the user during map recording.”
FIG. 17 / ¶ 0282: the electronic device includes “an input apparatus 730… configured to receive a user input,” in combination with the dividing apparatus 600.
Zhou therefore discloses user input, through a displayed/graphical interface, that defines closed regions within and relative to the mapped working area. Applicant’s reliance on ¶ 0048 of the instant specification (mouse/touch input) is noted; however, claim 1 does not recite mouse or touch drawing input, and limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. MPEP § 2111.01(II).
(ii) “An area extending beyond and outside a boundary of the working area,” and the “overlap part” set as the “small district”
This limitation is expressly met by Zhou ¶ 0161:
“In addition, the obstacle needs to be located inside the boundary. Therefore, a part, outside the boundary, of the obstacle will be discarded.”
Zhou thus describes a user-recorded closed region whose extent extends beyond and outside the boundary of the working area, wherein only the portion overlapping the working area is retained and operated upon — precisely the claimed relationship in which “the enclosed area includes an area extending beyond and outside a boundary of the working area, and an overlap part of the working area and the enclosed area is set as a small district in the working area.”
Zhou further states in the same paragraph:
“A passage may be located inside or outside the boundary… If a passage is located outside the boundary, the passage is used to connect two separate sub-working regions. Therefore, the passage needs to intersect with both the sub-working regions.”
A user-defined closed region (passage) that lies partly outside the boundary and that intersects the working region is an individual enclosed area overlapping an existing working area and extending beyond and outside its boundary. The intersecting portion is the overlap part set as a district within the working area.
Applicant’s citation of ¶ 0164 (the offset/erosion-expansion operation) is not responsive. That paragraph addresses a positioning-center calibration offset applied to compensate for the deviation between the mobile station’s positioning center during map recording and that of the mower — it is a safety-margin correction, not the region-setting operation relied upon in the rejection. The existence of a separate calibration step that shrinks the boundary does not negate the express teaching of ¶ 0161 that user-recorded closed regions may extend outside the boundary with only the overlapping portion retained.
(iii) Setting the small district as either a working district or a non-working district “based on user selection”
Zhou ¶ 0161 is directly on point. After the user inputs the map-generation instruction for a closed region, “an attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region”:
“If a boundary attribute is assigned… the autonomous lawn mower can work within the region” → working district.
“If an obstacle attribute is assigned… the autonomous lawn mower cannot enter the region” → non-working district.
“If a passage attribute is assigned… the autonomous lawn mower can enter the region but cannot perform grass cutting work within the region” → non-working district.
This is the assignment of a meaning — work or no work — to a user-recorded closed region, selected from among alternatives in the course of user-driven map generation. Zhou ¶ 0162 confirms per-cell attribute assignment including “whether the autonomous lawn mower can cover the raster cell,” and ¶ 0163 confirms the control module acts on that attribute (“the control module controls the autonomous lawn mower to change a movement manner to stay away from the position corresponding to the raster cell”).
Applicant’s argument that “[t]here is no user involvement in this determination” is therefore unpersuasive.
(iv) Zhou’s “overlapping portion” and the claimed “small district”
Applicant’s three asserted distinctions are addressed as follows.
“Not set by a user through a graphical interface.” As shown above, Zhou discloses user-defined closed regions assigned user-selected attributes, displayed in real time on an intelligent terminal or display screen (¶¶ 0159, 0161), and user-adjustable region/path division (¶¶ 0179, 0234). Further, the identification of the “small district” as a region to be worked is not structurally distinguishable from Zhou’s overlap region, which is likewise worked by the robot (¶ 0223: “it is ensured that the self-moving device can cover edge parts of all the divided regions”).
“The user assigns a meaning.” The function attributed to the user is not a structural or functional limitation on the apparatus. MPEP § 2114(II). Moreover, Zhou’s overlapping portion is assigned a meaning — it is designated as a region to be covered to guarantee complete coverage at region borders (¶¶ 0177, 0222–0223). A difference in the rationale for designating an area does not distinguish the claimed apparatus, which recites no particular rationale, only that the district is set as working or non-working.
“Merely a buffer zone.” The claim does not exclude a district that functions as a coverage-assuring overlap. The claim requires only that (a) an enclosed area overlap an existing working area, (b) part of the enclosed area lie beyond the boundary, © the overlap part be set as a small district, and (d) the district be settable as working or non-working. Each of (a)–(d) is disclosed by Zhou as shown in sections (i)–(iii) above. Applicant’s characterization of the claimed small district as “fundamentally different” rests on advantages and intended purposes not recited in the claim. MPEP § 2145(III)–(IV).
(v) Conditional route setting “when the small district is set as the working district”
The recitation “when the small district is set as the working district, the setting of the traveling route includes automatically setting the traveling route for performing work within the small district” is a conditional limitation. In an apparatus claim, such a limitation requires only that the processor be configured to set a route for the district when that district is designated as one to be worked.
Zhou satisfies this. Where a user-recorded closed region is assigned a boundary attribute (work permitted), Zhou’s path generation module automatically plans a path for that region: “After region division is completed, a path of the autonomous lawn mower in each sub-region is planned” (¶ 0178); “a path plan is autonomously generated by a path generation module” (¶ 0179). Conversely, where the user assigns an obstacle or passage attribute (no work permitted), Zhou expressly does not set a work route within that region: the mower “cannot enter the region” (obstacle) or “can enter the region but cannot perform grass cutting work within the region” (passage) (¶ 0161). Zhou further confirms that the control module affirmatively directs the robot away from, or through without working, such regions (¶ 0163: “the control module controls the autonomous lawn mower to change a movement manner to stay away from the position corresponding to the raster cell”; ¶ 0185: the mower “enables the task execution module to stop working”).
Zhou thus discloses exactly the claimed conditionality: route-for-work is set for regions designated as to-be-worked, and is not set for regions designated as not-to-be-worked, with the designation originating in the user’s attribute assignment (¶ 0161).
Applicant’s reliance on ¶ 0178 (“route planning is performed for each sub-region unconditionally”) is misplaced. Paragraph 0178 addresses path planning among sub-working regions — i.e., regions already determined to be worked. It does not state that routes are planned within obstacle regions or within passage regions, and ¶ 0161 affirmatively forecloses that reading. Read as a whole, Zhou’s route setting is conditioned on the work/no-work attribute of the region.
(vi) Paragraphs 0159, 0160, and 0162 of Zhou
Applicant’s statement that Zhou nowhere discloses “the display of such a map” is not consistent with ¶ 0159 (real-time display of recorded information on a tablet/mobile phone or on the mobile station’s own display screen) or with ¶¶ 0162–0163 (generation of a raster image map with per-cell coverage attributes). Applicant’s statement that “no further user input is involved” after mapping is not consistent with ¶ 0179 or ¶ 0234.
Each limitation of amended claim 1 is disclosed, expressly or inherently, in Zhou, arranged as in the claim. The arguments directed to Zhou’s overall purpose, to features disclosed in the specification but not recited in the claim (mouse/touch drawing input; speed of setting; user “meaning”), and to the manner in which an operator exercises a selection do not distinguish the claimed apparatus. Accordingly, the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) is maintained.
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 1-5, 7-9, 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Zhou et al. (USPBPUB No. US 20190346848 A1) hereinafter referred to as “Zhou”.
Zhou teaches:Claim 1
A robotic working apparatus comprising:
(a) a working robot configured to perform work while autonomously traveling in a set working area;
Zhou discloses an autonomous working system 100 including a self-moving device, specifically an autonomous lawn mower 1, that moves and works within a defined working region. See ¶ 0147 (“The autonomous working system includes a self-moving device. In this embodiment, the self-moving device is an autonomous lawn mower 1.”); ¶ 0148 (“the autonomous working system is configured to work within a predetermined working region”); ¶ 0149 (mower 1 includes a housing 3, a movement module having a continuous track 5 driven by a drive motor, a task execution module including a cutting assembly 7 performing grass cutting work, an energy source module, and a control module); ¶ 0273 (“a self-moving device, moving and working within a working region defined on a map”); FIGS. 1–2.
(b) a processor configured to control motion of the working robot and configured to partition and set the working area,
Zhou discloses a control module electrically connected to the movement module and task execution module, which “controls the movement module to enable the autonomous lawn mower 1 to move, and controls the task execution module to perform a task” (¶ 0149), and further discloses a processor 710 of an electronic device 700 that executes program instructions to perform the dividing method for the working region (¶¶ 0278–0280; FIG. 17). Zhou further discloses a dividing apparatus 600 comprising a dividing unit 640 “configured to divide the working region into a plurality of sub-working regions” (¶¶ 0030, 0251; FIG. 16), and a path generation module (¶ 0177).
(c) wherein the processor is configured to partition and set the working area, and to set a traveling route of the working robot,
Zhou discloses that the mobile station “includes a path generation module generating a path plan according to the map of the working region. First, the working region is divided according to the boundary, an obstacle, a passage or the like of the working region” (¶ 0177), and that “[a]fter region division is completed, a path of the autonomous lawn mower in each sub-region is planned” (¶ 0178). See also ¶ 0193 (“the control module of the autonomous lawn mower obtains position coordinates recorded by the mobile station, and the control module may generate the map and the path”).
(d) wherein the partitioning and setting of the working area includes setting an individual enclosed area overlapping with an existing working area based on user input through a graphical interface displaying the working area,
Zhou discloses setting of an individual closed region by user input through a graphical interface displaying the recorded working area:
¶ 0159: “the mobile station includes a second interface for connecting to the intelligent terminal of the user. The intelligent terminal such as a mobile phone and a tablet may be installed on the mobile station through the second interface… the intelligent terminal is installed on the mobile station and displays in real time information recorded by the mobile station. In this embodiment, the mobile station includes several buttons configured to input instructions such as ‘record a map’ and ‘complete recording.’ In another embodiment, the mobile station includes a display screen displaying information in real time in place of the intelligent terminal.”
¶ 0161: “every time the user walks to form a closed region, the user uses a button to input a map generation instruction to generate map information of the closed region… Similarly, when recording an obstacle and a passage, the user walks along the obstacle or passage to form a closed region, the map information corresponding to the closed region is generated, and the user then records a next closed region.”
¶ 0179: “a path plan is autonomously generated by a path generation module, and certainly may be alternatively manually adjusted by the user according to the condition of the working region.”
¶ 0233: “the passage is marked when a map is created”; ¶ 0234: “a user defines a passage.”
¶ 0282: the electronic device includes “an input apparatus 730… configured to receive a user input.”
Zhou further discloses that such individually set closed regions overlap with the existing working area: ¶ 0161 (“the passage needs to intersect with both the sub-working regions”; “the obstacle needs to be located inside the boundary”); ¶ 0177 (“an overlapping portion is provided between adjacent sub-regions”); ¶¶ 0038, 0222–0223, 0259 (“divide the plurality of sub-working regions so that adjacent working regions of the plurality of sub-working regions have an overlapping portion”).
(e) wherein the enclosed area includes an area extending beyond and outside a boundary of the working area, and an overlap part of the working area and the enclosed area is set as a small district in the working area,
Zhou expressly discloses a user-recorded closed region that extends beyond and outside the boundary of the working area, wherein only the portion overlapping/intersecting the working area is retained and set as a district within the working area:
¶ 0161: “the obstacle needs to be located inside the boundary. Therefore, a part, outside the boundary, of the obstacle will be discarded.” (Thus the user-recorded closed region as input extends outside the boundary, and the retained district is the overlap part lying within the working area.)
¶ 0161: “A passage may be located inside or outside the boundary. If a passage is located outside the boundary, the passage is used to connect two separate sub-working regions. Therefore, the passage needs to intersect with both the sub-working regions.” (A user-defined closed region located at least partly outside the boundary and intersecting the working region — i.e., an individual enclosed area overlapping an existing working area and extending beyond its boundary, the intersection being set as a district of the working region.)
¶¶ 0177, 0222–0223, 0259: adjacent sub-working regions are set so as to have an overlapping portion, which overlapping portion constitutes a district within the working region that is covered by the device.
(f) wherein the processor is configured to set the small district as either a working district or a non-working district based on user selection,
Zhou discloses that, following the user’s input of the map-generation instruction for a closed region, an attribute is assigned to that closed region which determines whether the device works therein:
¶ 0161: “On the generated map, an attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region. For example, if a boundary attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region, the autonomous lawn mower can work within the region but cannot leave the region. If an obstacle attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region, the autonomous lawn mower cannot enter the region… If a passage attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region, the autonomous lawn mower can enter the region but cannot perform grass cutting work within the region.”
¶ 0162: “a cell attribute is assigned to a raster cell. The cell attribute includes coordinates, whether the autonomous lawn mower can cover the raster cell, whether the autonomous lawn mower passes through the raster cell…”
¶ 0163: “If the cell attribute of a raster cell indicates that the autonomous lawn mower cannot cover the raster cell… the control module controls the autonomous lawn mower to change a movement manner to stay away from the position corresponding to the raster cell. If the cell attribute of a raster cell indicates that the autonomous lawn mower can cover the raster cell…”
See also ¶ 0177 (the working region “may further be divided according to the priorities of regions. For example, a front yard and a back yard of a user are different sub-regions, so that the autonomous lawn mower works in the front yard and the backyard by using different working strategies”); ¶ 0234 (“a user defines a passage, so that the self-moving device considers the front yard and the back yard as two independent regions”).
Zhou therefore discloses a processor that sets a user-defined closed region as either a region in which work is performed (working district — boundary attribute) or a region in which work is not performed (non-working district — obstacle or passage attribute), the designation originating in the user’s recording and attribute assignment.
(g) and wherein, when the small district is set as the working district, the setting of the traveling route includes automatically setting the traveling route for performing work within the small district.
Zhou discloses that a traveling route for performing work is automatically planned for each region designated as a region to be worked, while no work route is set for regions designated as not to be worked:
¶ 0178: “After region division is completed, a path of the autonomous lawn mower in each sub-region is planned. A preset path of the autonomous lawn mower in each sub-region may be a regular path such as parallel paths and a spiral path or may be a random path.”
¶ 0179: “a path plan is autonomously generated by a path generation module.”
¶ 0177: “In this embodiment, an overlapping portion is provided between adjacent sub-regions, to ensure coverage on the portion between the adjacent sub-regions” (i.e., the overlap-part district is routed and worked).
¶ 0223: “overlapping divided regions are used to provide an overlapping portion between adjacent sub-working regions, so that it is ensured that the self-moving device can cover edge parts of all the divided regions.”
Conversely, for a district assigned a non-working attribute, no work route is set within it: ¶ 0161 (mower “cannot enter the region” / “cannot perform grass cutting work within the region”); ¶ 0163 (control module “controls the autonomous lawn mower to change a movement manner to stay away from the position corresponding to the raster cell”); ¶ 0185 (the mower “enables the task execution module to stop working”).
Claim 2
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed area is set by a plurality of point coordinates inputted on a plane coordinate encompassing the working area.
Zhou discloses recording position coordinates to define a closed region, and establishing a Cartesian (plane) coordinate system encompassing the working region: ¶ 0161 (“the mobile station includes a map generation module configured to generate the map of the working region according to recorded position coordinates”); ¶ 0162 ("a Cartesian coordinate system is established to generate the map. Specifically, the first point from which recording is started is used as the origin (0, 0) of the coordinate axes… the mobile station outputs position coordinates (x1, y1), and converts the position coordinates (x1, y1) into (x1-x0, y1-y0)… The recorded position coordinates are converted into a grid on the Cartesian coordinate system.
¶ 0169 (“the working region has a boundary with a regular shape, for example, a rectangular boundary. To record the map, the user only needs to record the positions of the vertices of the working region. During map generation, the vertices are connected to obtain the boundary. Such a method is also applicable to a passage, an obstacle, and the like with a regular shape.”); ¶ 0159 (user inputs via buttons on the mobile station / intelligent terminal displaying the recorded information in real time).
Thus Zhou discloses an enclosed (closed) region set by a plurality of point coordinates input on a plane coordinate system encompassing the working area.
Claim 3
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed area is set by a plane figure which is drawn by an input to a screen corresponding to a plane coordinate encompassing the working area.
Zhou discloses a screen displaying the mapped working region in real time and user input to that interface to generate a closed region figure on the plane coordinate system: ¶ 0159 (“the intelligent terminal is installed on the mobile station and displays in real time information recorded by the mobile station… the mobile station includes several buttons configured to input instructions… In another embodiment, the mobile station includes a display screen displaying information in real time”); ¶ 0161 (“every time the user walks to form a closed region, the user uses a button to input a map generation instruction to generate map information of the closed region”); ¶ 0162 (Cartesian coordinate system and raster image generated therefrom, with the recording process “equivalent to a process of placing points on the raster image”); ¶ 0169 (vertices recorded and connected to obtain a regular shape, e.g., a rectangular boundary); ¶ 0282 (input apparatus 730 “configured to receive a user input”); ¶ 0283 (output apparatus 740).
Claim 4
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed area includes a first area and a second area adjacent to the first area which is set after the first area is set.
Zhou discloses sequential setting of adjacent closed regions: ¶ 0161 (“when recording the boundary of the working region, the user walks along a boundary of a sub-working region. After the boundary of the sub-working region is completed, the boundary of the sub-working region is generated, and then a boundary of a next sub-working region starts to be recorded. Similarly, when recording an obstacle and a passage, the user walks along the obstacle or passage to form a closed region, the map information corresponding to the closed region is generated, and the user then records a next closed region.”); ¶ 0177 (“an overlapping portion is provided between adjacent sub-regions”); ¶ 0240 (“Neighbor strategy: The self-moving device finishes work in one sub-working region and then enters an adjacent region to work”).
Claim 5
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed area includes a first area and a second area which is set after the first area is set and partially overlaps with the first area.
Zhou discloses a second region, set after a first region, that partially overlaps the first region: ¶ 0038 (“the dividing unit is configured to: divide the plurality of sub-working regions so that adjacent working regions of the plurality of sub-working regions have an overlapping portion”); ¶ 0177 (“an overlapping portion is provided between adjacent sub-regions, to ensure coverage on the portion between the adjacent sub-regions”); ¶¶ 0222–0223 (“overlapping divided regions are used to provide an overlapping portion between adjacent sub-working regions, so that it is ensured that the self-moving device can cover edge parts of all the divided regions”); ¶ 0259; ¶ 0161 (regions recorded and generated in sequence, “the user then records a next closed region”).
Claim 7
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partitioning and setting the working area includes setting part of the working area other than the overlap part as a non-working district.
Zhou discloses setting portions of the working area other than the overlap part as districts in which the device does not work: ¶ 0161 (“If an obstacle attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region, the autonomous lawn mower cannot enter the region. In addition, the obstacle needs to be located inside the boundary… If a passage attribute is assigned to the recorded closed region, the autonomous lawn mower can enter the region but cannot perform grass cutting work within the region… If a passage is located inside the boundary, the passage is usually a non-lawn surface. Therefore, the autonomous lawn mower is also forbidden to perform grass cutting work.”); ¶ 0163 (“If the cell attribute of a raster cell indicates that the autonomous lawn mower cannot cover the raster cell… the control module controls the autonomous lawn mower to change a movement manner to stay away from the position corresponding to the raster cell.”); ¶ 0177 (regions divided according to priorities, “so that the autonomous lawn mower works in the front yard and the backyard by using different working strategies”).
Claim 8
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partitioning and setting of the working area is performed by an external device which can communicate with the processor and can be operated by a user.
Zhou discloses an external device — an intelligent terminal (mobile phone/tablet) and/or a detachable mobile station, and/or a server — in communication with the processor and operable by the user: ¶ 0152 (“the mobile station 15 is detachably connected to the housing 3 of the autonomous lawn mower 1… When being connected to the housing 3…, the mobile station 15 may be electrically connected to the control module of the autonomous lawn mower 1”); ¶ 0154 (“the mobile station is separated from the housing of the autonomous lawn mower, the mobile station works independently, and the user holds the mobile station and walks to record the map”); ¶ 0155 (“the user uses an intelligent terminal device such as a mobile phone and a tablet to remotely control the autonomous lawn mower to move”); ¶ 0159 (“the mobile station communicates with the intelligent terminal wirelessly by using the communications module. The wireless communication manner may be Wi-Fi, a cellular network, Bluetooth or the like.”); ¶ 0276 (“The electronic device may be an electronic device integrated in a mobile station of a self-moving device or a standalone device independent of the mobile station. The standalone device may communicate with the mobile station to implement the dividing method”); ¶ 0304 (server including a memory and processor performing the method).
Claim 9
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosed area on a screen can be identified by a color and/or a pattern, depending on a motion of the working robot in the enclosed area.
Zhou discloses a screen that displays, in real time, the recorded map information and per-region/per-cell attributes relating to the motion and coverage of the robot: ¶ 0159 (“the intelligent terminal is installed on the mobile station and displays in real time information recorded by the mobile station… the mobile station includes a display screen displaying information in real time”); ¶ 0162 (“a cell attribute is assigned to a raster cell. The cell attribute includes coordinates, whether the autonomous lawn mower can cover the raster cell, whether the autonomous lawn mower passes through the raster cell, a quantity of times that the autonomous lawn mower passes through the raster cell, a DGPS signal condition, a positioning error, altitude, a slope…”); ¶ 0161 (distinct attributes — boundary, obstacle, passage — assigned to and identifying each recorded closed region on the generated map); ¶ 0177 (“According to the shape of the boundary, the boundary may further be divided into different sub-regions based on a portion with a regular shape and a portion with an irregular shape”); FIG. 15(a)–© (divided sub-regions distinguished on the displayed map, labeled A–H).
Note further that the recitation “can be identified by a color and/or a pattern” is drawn to a non-functional display characteristic and is given limited patentable weight in an apparatus claim. See MPEP § 2114(II).
Claim 11
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the traveling route includes setting the traveling route to perform the work in the small district.
Zhou discloses setting a traveling route to perform work within the divided district, including the overlap district: ¶ 0178 (“After region division is completed, a path of the autonomous lawn mower in each sub-region is planned”); ¶ 0177 (“an overlapping portion is provided between adjacent sub-regions, to ensure coverage on the portion between the adjacent sub-regions”); ¶ 0223 (“it is ensured that the self-moving device can cover edge parts of all the divided regions”); ¶ 0213 (“a direction of a narrow side of the shaded region is selected to perform division, so that the self-moving device walks in the direction of the narrow side of the shaded region”); ¶ 0201 (“the self-moving device works in the sub-regions”).
Claim 12
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the traveling route includes setting the traveling route between a base and the small district.
Zhou discloses a charging station 2 (base) and generation of a route between the device’s position within a divided region and the base: ¶ 0147 (“The autonomous working system 100 further includes a charging station 2 configured to charge the autonomous lawn mower 1”); ¶ 0160 (“the charging station is used as a starting point on the map, and the autonomous lawn mower starts to work from the charging station”); ¶ 0186 (“a path generation module computes a shortest path from the autonomous lawn mower 1 to the charging station 2 according to information about the current position of the autonomous lawn mower 1 and the map information and generates a return path 53. The control module controls the autonomous lawn mower 1 to move along the return path 53 to return to the charging station 2… is further related to obstacle distribution in the working region and whether there is a passage between the autonomous lawn mower 1 and the charging station 2”); ¶ 0187 (path generation module “sets several return paths 53 according to the generated map”); ¶ 0241 (“Several starting points are set in advance for each sub-working region… After finishing work in one sub-working region, the self-moving device searches for a nearest starting point and moves to a sub-working region corresponding to the starting point to work”); FIGS. 11–13.
Claim 13
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the traveling route includes setting the traveling route such that the at least part of the traveling route is different from the traveling route set previously.
Zhou discloses setting a route that differs, at least in part, from a previously set route: ¶ 0186 (“the control module records the return path… When the autonomous lawn mower 1 starts to return again, the control module compares a newly generated return path with a previous return path or several previous return paths to determine whether an overlapping portion exists… If an overlapping portion exists, the return path is modified to avoid a return path overlap. For example, a part of the return path is offset by a distance… thereby preventing the autonomous lawn mower 1 from repeatedly returning along a same segment of the path to crush the lawn”); ¶ 0187 (“the autonomous lawn mower 1 can be prevented from returning along a same path to crush the lawn”); ¶ 0188 (“the autonomous lawn mower 1 moves along the boundary 200 on a different path each time… at a variable distance from the boundary 200. That is, during each return, the autonomous lawn mower 1 moves along the boundary 200 at a different distance from the boundary 200.”); ¶ 0178 (“A preset path of the autonomous lawn mower in each sub-region may be a regular path such as parallel paths and a spiral path or may be a random path.”); ¶ 0183 (“if determining that a distance by which the current position of the autonomous lawn mower deviates from the preset path is greater than a preset value, the control module may calibrate the moving direction of the autonomous lawn mower in real time, or may redraw segments”).
Claim 14
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the processor is configured to set a work content in a set working area; and setting the work content includes setting of the work content such that the work content of the enclosed area is different from the work content of an area other than the enclosed area.
Zhou discloses setting differing work content for different divided regions:
¶ 0177: “the working region may further be divided according to the growth of plants, so that the autonomous lawn mower works at higher cutting power for a longer cutting time in a region with dense plants and works at lower cutting power for a shorter cutting time in a region with sparse plants. In this embodiment, the working region may further be divided according to the priorities of regions. For example, a front yard and a back yard of a user are different sub-regions, so that the autonomous lawn mower works in the front yard and the backyard by using different working strategies.”
¶¶ 0027, 0045, 0236–0237: “detecting a vegetation growth condition in the working region; and dividing the working region based on the vegetation growth condition”; “division may further be performed according to a vegetation health/growth condition.”
¶ 0161: differing work content by region attribute — work permitted (boundary attribute) versus work prohibited (obstacle/passage attributes).
¶ 0190: “The work schedule includes a working time for each sub-region, a work order for the sub-regions, a quantity of times of covering each sub-region, and the like.”
¶¶ 0238–0242: distinct coverage strategies (circle strategy, neighbor strategy, nearest starting point, optimal point) applied to the divided sub-regions.
Claim 15
The robotic working apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the work content includes at least one of a work time, a work frequency, a work sequence, and a work load.
Zhou discloses each of these: ¶ 0190 (“the autonomous lawn mower may further autonomously determine a work schedule according to properties such as an area and a shape of a map. The work schedule includes a working time for each sub-region [work time], a work order for the sub-regions [work sequence], a quantity of times of covering each sub-region [work frequency], and the like.”); ¶ 0177 (“works at higher cutting power for a longer cutting time in a region with dense plants and works at lower cutting power for a shorter cutting time in a region with sparse plants” [work load and work time]); ¶ 0162 (“a quantity of times that the autonomous lawn mower passes through the raster cell” [work frequency]); ¶¶ 0239–0241 (work order among sub-regions).
Conclusion
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/ANISS CHAD/
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3662
