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 . The instant application with Application Number 18/525,123 filed on 11/30/2023 is presented for examination. Claims 1-16 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statment
The Information Disclosure Statements dated 06/10/2024 and 11/30/2023 are acknowledged and the cited references have been considered in this examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Double Patenting
The non-statutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A non-statutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a non-statutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claim 1 is rejected on the ground of non-statutory double patenting over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. US 11,465,275 since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the “right to exclude” already granted in the patent.
The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: a mobile robot comprising: a main body; a plurality of antennas in the main body; and at least one processor configured to: receive, through the plurality of antennas, a communication signal from a charging station, obtain information about a distance between the charging station and the mobile robot and information about a direction from the mobile robot. The patented application anticipates the instant application claimed.
Furthermore, there is no apparent reason why applicant was prevented from presenting claims corresponding to those of the instant application during prosecution of the application which matured into a patent. See In re Schneller, 397 F.2d 350, 158 USPQ 210 (CCPA 1968). See also MPEP § 804.
Claim 1 of instant application: 18/525,123
Claim 1 of paten’d application US 11,465,275
A mobile robot comprising: a main body; a plurality of antennas in the main body; and at least one processor configured to: receive, through the plurality of antennas, a communication signal from a charging station, obtain information about a distance between the charging station and the mobile robot and information about a direction from the mobile robot to the charging station based on the received communication signal, receive information about a position of the charging station from the charging station, and control docking of the mobile robot at the charging station based on the obtained information about the distance between the charging station and the mobile robot, the obtained information about a direction from the mobile robot to the charging station, and the received information about a position of the charging station.
A mobile robot moving to a target position indicated by a user terminal, the mobile robot comprising: a driver configured to move the mobile robot; a communication interface configured to exchange a wireless signal with each of a first terminal transceiver and a second terminal transceiver included in the user terminal; and a controller configured to control the driver to move to the target position after transmission and reception of the wireless signal with the first terminal transceiver and transmission and reception of the wireless signal with the second terminal transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to determine the target position based on a communication response time of the first terminal transceiver and a communication response time of the second terminal transceiver, and to control the driver to move to the target position.
Claims 2-10 of the instant application are dependent on rejected instant claim 1 above; hence rejected, at least, for their dependency on rejected claim 1.
Claim 11 is rejected on the ground of non-statutory double patenting over claims 1/6 of U.S. Patent No. US 11,777,154 since the claims, if allowed, would improperly extend the “right to exclude” already granted in the patent.
The subject matter claimed in the instant application is fully disclosed in the patent and is covered by the patent since the patent and the application are claiming common subject matter, as follows: a charging station including a plurality of station antennas configured to transmit and/or receive one or more first communication signals for setting up a boundary of a working area and transmit position information of the charging station. The patented application anticipates the instant application claimed.
Furthermore, there is no apparent reason why applicant was prevented from presenting claims corresponding to those of the instant application during prosecution of the application which matured into a patent. See In re Schneller, 397 F.2d 350, 158 USPQ 210 (CCPA 1968). See also MPEP § 804.
Claim 11 of instant application: 18/525,123
Claim 1/6 of paten’d application US 11,465,275
A motion control system comprising: a charging station including a plurality of station antennas configured to transmit and/or receive one or more first communication signals for setting up a boundary of a working area and transmit position information of the charging station; a plurality of beacons configured to transmit and/or receive one or more second communication signals for setting up the boundary of the working area; and a mobile robot including a plurality of robot antennas configured to communicate with the charging station and the plurality of beacons, and travel in the working area, wherein the mobile robot is configured to: receive, through the plurality of robot antennas, the one or more first communication signals from the charging station, obtain information about a distance between the charging station and the mobile robot and information about a direction from the mobile robot to the charging station based on the one or more received first communication signals, receive the position information of the charging station from the charging station, and control docking of the mobile robot at the docking station based on the obtained information about the distance between the charging station and the mobile robot, the obtained information about the direction from the mobile robot to the charging station, and the received position information of the charging station.
A mobile robot moving to a target position indicated by a user terminal, the mobile robot comprising: a driver configured to move the mobile robot; a communication interface configured to exchange a wireless signal with each of a first terminal transceiver and a second terminal transceiver included in the user terminal; and a controller configured to control the driver to move to the target position after transmission and reception of the wireless signal with the first terminal transceiver and transmission and reception of the wireless signal with the second terminal transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to determine the target position based on a communication response time of the first terminal transceiver and a communication response time of the second terminal transceiver, and to control the driver to move to the target position.
6…wherein the communication interface comprises a first robot transceiver, a second robot transceiver, and a third robot transceiver, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the target position based on a communication response time between each of the first, second, and third robot transceivers and the first terminal transceiver and a communication response time be.
Claims 12-16 of the instant application are dependent on rejected instant claim 11 above; hence rejected, at least, for their dependency on rejected claim 11.
Applicant is also advised to consider related patented application US 11,097,416, US 8,0255,084 and US 11,609,575 have similar non-statutory doble patenting issues with the current application number 18/525,123.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 4, 5, 9, 14 and 16 and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Nam et al. (US 2020/0029496) (Hereinafter, Nam).
With respect to claims 1 and 11, Nam discloses a mobile robot (Fig. 1, 100) comprising: a main body (Fig. 1, MB); a plurality of antennas in the main body (Para. # 0017: antennas and specifying the position of the mobile robot on the work area based on the incident angle of the wireless signal); and at least one processor (Fig. 4, 190-processor) configured to: receive, through the plurality of antennas, a communication signal from a charging station (Para. # 0063, 0080, 0083: the processor 190 may decide the obstacle as a static obstacle and control the wheel driver 170 to avoid the obstacle. In an optional embodiment, the processor 190 may directly do homing to the charging docking station 350) , obtain information about a distance between the charging station and the mobile robot and information about a direction from the mobile robot to the charging station based on the received communication signal (Para. # 0080, 0096: the mobile robot 100 has been docked to the charging docking station 350, the processor 190 may charge the power of the power supply 160, and request the charging docking station so that a message about stopping the lawn cutting is transmitted to the mobile terminal through the communicator provided in the charging docking station 350),
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receive information about a position of the charging station from the charging station, and control docking of the mobile robot at the charging station based on the obtained information about the distance between the charging station and the mobile robot (Para. # 0061, 0084, 0129: The mobile robot 100 may be docked in the charging docking station 350 to charge the battery, and when receiving), the obtained information about a direction from the mobile robot to the charging station, and the received information about a position of the charging station (Para. # 0096, 127: the mobile robot 100 has been docked to the charging docking station 350, the processor 190 may charge the power of the power supply 160 and request the charging docking station and the communicator provided in the charging docking station 350).
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With respect to claims 4 and 14, Nam discloses the mobile robot as disclosed above, where in further comprising: a first charging terminal in the main body (Fig. 1, MB); and a second charging terminal in the main body and spaced apart a first distance from the first charging terminal (Para. # 0098-0100: the mobile terminal through the charging docking station 350, the processor 190 may move the mobile robot 100), wherein the plurality of antennas (Para. # 0084: multiple antennas or antennae) are arranged in a region between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal, and in an area extending from the region between the first charging terminal and the second charging terminal (Para. # 0055, 0080/0096: the mobile robot 100 has been docked to the charging docking station 350, the processor 190 may charge the power of the power supply 160 and request the charging docking station).
With respect to claims 5 and 16, Nam discloses the mobile robot as disclosed above, wherein the plurality of antennas are disposed on an upper surface of the main body or protrude from the upper surface of the main body (Fig. 1, 100).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6, 10, 12 and 15 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, including overcoming the objection or/and rejection sated above. Claims 3-5, 7-8 and 13 are dependent on objected claims 2, 6 and 12 claims above.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YALKEW FANTU whose telephone number is (571)272-8928. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00AM-4:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DREW A DUNN can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YALKEW FANTU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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