DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to the applicant’s response received on February 12, 2026.
Claims 1, 9, 10 and 17 have been amended.
Claims 1-19 are pending.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 101
Applicant’s argument with regards to the 101 rejection have been fully considered and are deemed to be persuasive. Therefore, the 101 rejection is hereby withdrawn.
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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai Chin-Tu (hereinafter referred to as Tsai) TW 201824099 (see attached translation) in view of Wang et al., (hereinafter referred to as Wang) U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0201352.
As to claim 1, Tsai teaches a method for generating a cleaning route of a cleaning device, comprising:
determining a moving route of the cleaning device (refer to at least lines 34-41, using a self-propelled cleaning robot to randomly move in at least one area) ;
determining a state mode of the cleaning device (refer to at least lines 134-137, inherent depending on mode of operation sweeping or mopping);
determining a water consumption of the cleaning device (refer to at least lines 34-41, recording a working time and a water consumption of the self-propelled cleaning robot when it moves in the area); and
generating the cleaning route of the cleaning device based on the moving route of the cleaning device, the state mode of the cleaning device, and the water consumption of the cleaning device (refer to at least lines 34-41, wherein controlling the cleaning operation based on the optimal path information based on power consumption, operation time and water consumption;
wherein the state mode of the cleaning device comprises at least two of a sweeping state mode, a mopping state mode, a sweeping and mopping state mode, and a sweeping and mopping idle state mode (refer to at least lines 134-137, different mode of operation sweeping or mopping); and
wherein the cleaning route comprises at least two of a sweeping route, a mopping route, a sweeping and mopping route, and a sweeping and mopping idle route that correspond to the state mode of the cleaning device (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137, wherein controlling the cleaning operation of the robot based on the optimal path) and
Tsai fails to explicitly teach wherein the at least two of a sweeping route, the mopping route, the sweeping and mopping route, and the sweeping and mopping idle route are displayed distinguishable from one another by at least one visual attribute selected from color, shape, and presence or absence of a shadow.
Wang teaches a method and a device for displaying a motion path of a robot and a robot, which are convenient for the user to quickly distinguish between the cleaning path and the auxiliary path (equated to idle route), thereby improving the user experience (refer to paragraph 0006). Wang further teaches wherein the paths are displayed in different colors/shapes (refer to paragraphs 0059-0062).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have at least two of the sweeping route, the mopping route, the sweeping and mopping route, and the sweeping and mopping idle route displayed distinguishable from one another by at least one visual attribute selected from color, shape, and presence or absence of a shadow for the convenience of the user to quickly distinguish between the paths, thereby improving the user experience (see Wang paragraphs 0004 and 0006).
As to claim 2, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the moving route of the cleaning device comprises:
generating an environmental map based on acquired environmental data (refer to at least lines 34-41); and
generating the moving route of the cleaning device based on movement data about moving from a coordinate point in the environmental map to a next coordinate point (refer to at least lines).
As to claim 3, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the state mode of the cleaning device comprises: determining that the cleaning device is in the sweeping state mode in response to a sweeping module of the cleaning device being in a working state and a mopping module of the cleaning device being in an idle state (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 4, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the state mode of the cleaning device comprises: determining that the cleaning device is in the mopping state mode in response to a mopping module of the cleaning device being in a working state and a sweeping module of the cleaning device being in an idle state (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 5, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the state mode of the cleaning device comprises: determining that the cleaning device is in the sweeping and mopping state mode in response to both a sweeping module and a mopping module being in the working state.
As to claim 6, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the state mode of the cleaning device comprises: determining that the cleaning device is in the sweeping and mopping idle state mode in response to both a sweeping module and a mopping module being in the idle state (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 7, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the water consumption of the cleaning device comprises: determining the water consumption of the cleaning device in response to the cleaning device being in the sweeping state mode; determining the water consumption of the cleaning device in response to the cleaning device being in the mopping state mode; determining the water consumption of the cleaning device in response to the cleaning device being in the sweeping and mopping state mode; or determining the water consumption of the cleaning device in response to the cleaning device being in the sweeping and mopping idle state mode (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 8, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the cleaning route of the cleaning device based on the moving route of the cleaning device, the state mode of the cleaning device, and the water consumption of the cleaning device comprises: determining the sweeping route in response to the cleaning device being in the sweeping state mode, based on the moving route of the cleaning device in the sweeping state mode, and the water consumption of the cleaning device in the sweeping state mode; determining the mopping route in response to the cleaning device being in the mopping state mode, based on the moving route of the cleaning device in the mopping state mode, and the water consumption of the cleaning device in the mopping state mode; or determining the sweeping and mopping route in response to the cleaning device being in the sweeping and mopping state mode, based on the moving route of the cleaning device in the sweeping and mopping state mode, and the water consumption of the cleaning device in the sweeping and mopping state mode; determining the sweeping and mopping idle route in response to the cleaning device being in the sweeping and mopping idle state mode, based on the moving route of the cleaning device in the sweeping and mopping idle state mode, and the water consumption of the cleaning device in the sweeping and mopping idle state mode (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 9, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising: acquiring an environmental map; and generating a cleaning map by superimposing the cleaning route on the environmental map (refer to at least lines 34-41).
As to claim 10, Tsai teaches a cleaning device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the processor, upon executing an executable instruction stored in the memory, configured to: determine a moving route of the cleaning device; determine a state mode of the cleaning device; generate the cleaning route of the cleaning device based on the moving route of the cleaning device, the state mode of the cleaning device, and the water consumption of the cleaning device, wherein the state mode if the cleaning device comprises at least one of a sweeping state mode, a mopping state mode, a sweeping and mopping state mode, and a sweeping and mopping idle state mode; and wherein the cleaning route comprises at least one of a sweeping route, a mopping route, a sweeping and mopping route, and a sweeping and mopping idle route that correspond to the state mode of the cleaning device (refer to at least the rejection of claim1 and lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 11, Tsai teaches a system for generating a cleaning map of a cleaning device, comprising: the cleaning device according to claim 10; a terminal, configured to display the cleaning map generated by the cleaning device; and a server, in signal connection with the cleaning device and the terminal separately, configured to receive and store the cleaning map sent by the cleaning device, and further configured to send the cleaning map to the terminal (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137).
As to claim 12, Tsai teaches the system for generating the cleaning map of the cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein a sweeping route in the cleaning map displayed by the terminal is line-shaped (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137 and figs. 6-7).
As to claim 13, Tsai teaches the system for generating the cleaning map of the cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein a mopping route in the cleaning map displayed by the terminal is flake-shaped (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137 and figs. 6-7).
As to claim 14, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning route is used for being displayed on an environmental map, and the cleaning route comprises moving route information, water consumption information, and cleaning mode information (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137).
As to claim 15, Tsai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the mopping route is to be displayed in different displaying effects depending on different water consumptions (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137).
As to claim 16, Tsai teaches the cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is specifically configured to: generate an environmental map based on acquired environmental data; and generate the moving route of the cleaning device based on movement data about moving from a coordinate point in the environmental map to a next coordinate point (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137).
As to claim 17, Tsai teaches the cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: acquire an environmental map; and generate a cleaning map by superimposing the cleaning route on the environmental map (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 18, Tsai teaches the cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein the cleaning route is used for being displayed on an environmental map, and the cleaning route comprises moving route information, water consumption information, and cleaning mode information (refer to at least lines 34-41 and 134-137).
As to claim 19, Tsai teaches the cleaning device according to claim 10, wherein the mopping route is to be displayed in different displaying effects depending on different water consumptions (refer to at least lines 34-41, 73-78 and 134-137).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are considered moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached references cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAWKI SAIF ISMAIL whose telephone number is (571)272-3985. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a.m.-4:30p.m..
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/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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