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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-5, 7, 10-14, 16, 19, and 20 have been newly amended. Claims 6, 8-9, 15, and 17-18 have been newly cancelled. Claims 21-23 have been newly added. Claims 1-5, 7, 10-14, 16, and 19-23 remain pending in the present application. The previous 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) rejection of claims 1-20 have been withdrawn as a result of amendment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered and are partially persuasive.
Regarding Applicant’s argument that Takeshi fails to disclose wherein the joystick is attached to the mobile robot, and wherein the second light emission unit surrounds the joystick, Applicant’s argument moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Regarding Applicant’s argument that Takeshi fails to disclose wherein the first light emission unit surrounds the contact portion, Applicant notes that “[t]he status display lamp 40 is on the main body 10, below the loading section 60 where the tray presence/absence sensor 50 is installed…,” further asserting that “[t]he status display lamp 40 does not surround the load storage section 60.” The examiner respectfully disagrees.
The examiner notes that Takeshi discloses a plurality of “status display lamp(s) 40” disposed at a periphery of the body of the mobile robot, upon which the loading section 60 is disposed. The examiner asserts that under the broadest reasonable interpretation of “surround[ing],” the plurality of status display lamps 40, which are disposed on the outer shell of the body of the mobile robot, “surround” the contact portion, in that they are disposed around the contact portion. Hence, Applicant’s argument is not persuasive.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3, 7, 10-12, 16, 19-20 and 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious in view of Takeshi (JP2014186695A), hereafter Takeshi.
Regarding claim 1, Takeshi teaches a control system configured to execute system control of a system including a mobile robot configured to autonomously move and transport a transport object (0023, the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 comprises a main body 10 having omniwheels 13 and a loading section 60 at the top for loading luggage, autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 also has an electronic control device 30 that plans the travel route in a transport mode, and performs autonomous movement along the travel route), wherein:
The mobile robot comprises a contact portion configured to come into contact with the transport object while the transport object is mounted and transported, (0039, load storage section 61 is provided with a tray presence/absence sensor 50 for detecting the presence or absence of a tray carrying luggage), and is configured to move based on a movement operation received by a joystick device (0033, action start switch 26 causes the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 to start various actions, brake release switch 27 releases the brake state of the omniwheel 13, 0044, when guiding and moving the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 the operator can use a joystick to instruct the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 in the direction of movement and guide the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1);
The control system includes one or more processors (0047, the control board 37 is responsible for the overall control of the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1, the control board is composed of a microprocessor that performs calculations);
The one or more processors are configured to execute the system control (0047, the control board 37 is responsible for the overall control of the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1, the control board is composed of a microprocessor that performs calculations);
The system control includes light emission control causing a light emission unit including a first light emission unit surrounding the contact portion (0035, status display lamps 40 are arranged at the four corners of the main body 10, the status display lamp 40 is connected to the I/O board 39 that constitutes the electronic control device 30, and changes its lighting color and/or blinking pattern depending on the status of the device itself) and a second light emission unit surrounding an operation interface (0033, the action start switch 26 has a built-in action start switch lamp 46, and the brake release switch 27 has a built-in brake release switch lamp 47, action start switch lamp 46 and brake release switch lamp 47 are connected to the I/O board 39 and their lighting states are switched according to the status of the device), to emit light in different light emission patterns associated with each of a plurality of predetermined conditions (0059, when the control unit 36 is located outside the baggage delivery permitted area 340, the control unit 36 stops the transport and puts the device into a stopped state, at that time, the control unit 36 lights up the status display lamp 40, for example, in red, and flashes the action start switch lamp 46, 0096, in step S220, it is determined that the package has been received, and the process enters a standby state for the completion of transport, thereby completing the transport process, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 lights up in green, and the transport process ends, 0097, in step S222, it is determined that the cargo has fallen, and the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1 goes into a standby state due to the suspension of transportation, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 is lit in red and the action start switch lamp 46 is flashed); and
The light emission control includes linking a first light emission pattern in the first light emission unit with a second light emission pattern in the second light emission unit (0059, when the control unit 36 is located outside the baggage delivery permitted area 340, the control unit 36 stops the transport and puts the device into a stopped state, at that time, the control unit 36 lights up the status display lamp 40, for example, in red, and flashes the action start switch lamp 46, 0096, in step S220, it is determined that the package has been received, and the process enters a standby state for the completion of transport, thereby completing the transport process, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 lights up in green, and the transport process ends, 0097, in step S222, it is determined that the cargo has fallen, and the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1 goes into a standby state due to the suspension of transportation, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 is lit in red and the action start switch lamp 46 is flashed).
Takahashi fails to explicitly disclose, however, wherein:
The joystick device is attached to the mobile robot; and
Wherein the second light emission unit surrounds a stick portion of the joystick device.
The examiner notes, however, that Takahashi does teach a joystick operably connected to the mobile robot (0044, when guiding and moving the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 the operator can use a joystick to instruct the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 in the direction of movement and guide the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1, the electronic control device 30 is configured to be connectable to an external personal computer 90 and a controller such as a joystick via a LAN using Ethernet or via a USB). As such, the examiner asserts that it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have made the joystick of Takahashi attached to the robot, as to do so amounts to a mere rearrangement of parts. Specifically, the examiner asserts that the mere shifting of the position of the joystick would not modify the operation of the device. See also MPEP 2144.04(VI)(C), and the cases cited therein.
Further, regarding the limitation of “wherein the second light emission unit surrounds a stick portion of the joystick device,” the examiner asserts that it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have made the second light emission unit surround the joystick, because to do so amounts to an obvious matter of design choice. The examiner notes that Applicant’s specification does not indicate that the second light emission unit surrounding the joystick provides any new or unexpected result, and the examiner further notes that Applicant’s specification, in at least [0055], indicates that “[t]he second light emission unit 12 just needs to have a configuration in which light can be emitted and can be configured with, for example, one or more LEDs or an organic electroluminescence, and the light emission can be controlled by the control computer 101. In addition, a position, a shape, or a size of the second light emission unit 12 is not limited to the illustrated position, shape, or size. Even in a case where the stand 120 is not provided or in a case where the stand 120 is provided but the stick portion 131 is not provided, the mobile robot 100 is provided with the second light emission unit 12 (emphasis added).
Claims 10 and 19 are similar in scope to claim 1, and are similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 2, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 1, and further teaches wherein the light emission control includes:
Synchronization control of emitting light in the first light emission pattern and the second light emission pattern that are associated with a first condition of the predetermined conditions synchronously with each other (0059, when the control unit 36 is located outside the baggage delivery permitted area 340, the control unit 36 stops the transport and puts the device into a stopped state, at that time, the control unit 36 lights up the status display lamp 40, for example, in red, and flashes the action start switch lamp 46);
First asynchronization control of emitting light in the first light emission pattern associated with a second condition of the predetermined conditions asynchronously with the second light emission pattern (0096, in step S220, it is determined that the package has been received, and the process enters a standby state for the completion of transport, thereby completing the transport process, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 lights up in green, and the transport process ends); and
Second asynchronization control of emitting light in the second light emission pattern associated with a third condition of the predetermined conditions asynchronously with the first emission pattern (0097, in step S222, it is determined that the cargo has fallen, and the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1 goes into a standby state due to the suspension of transportation, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 is lit in red and the action start switch lamp 46 is flashed).
Claims 11 and 20 are similar in scope to claim 2, and are similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 3, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 2, and further teaches wherein the light emission control includes switching between the synchronization control, the first asynchronization control, and the second asynchronization control in accordance with the predetermined conditions (0059, when the control unit 36 is located outside the baggage delivery permitted area 340, the control unit 36 stops the transport and puts the device into a stopped state, at that time, the control unit 36 lights up the status display lamp 40, for example, in red, and flashes the action start switch lamp 46, 0096, in step S220, it is determined that the package has been received, and the process enters a standby state for the completion of transport, thereby completing the transport process, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 lights up in green, and the transport process ends, 0097, in step S222, it is determined that the cargo has fallen, and the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1 goes into a standby state due to the suspension of transportation, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 is lit in red and the action start switch lamp 46 is flashed, Examiner's note: each of the above scenarios have different conditions associated with each set of light patterns).
Claim 12 is similar in scope to claim 3, and is similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 7, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 1, and further teaches wherein:
The one or more processors are included in a controller in the joystick device, or included in a controller in a portion of the mobile robot other than the joystick device, or included in a server as part of the system to be connected to the mobile robot through wireless communication (0033, action start switch 26 is connected to an I/O board 39 that constitutes the electronic control device 30).
Takeshi fails to explicitly disclose, however, wherein the joystick device is provided in the mobile robot.
The examiner notes, however, that Takahashi does teach a joystick operably connected to the mobile robot (0044, when guiding and moving the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 the operator can use a joystick to instruct the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1 in the direction of movement and guide the autonomous mobile unmanned guided vehicle 1, the electronic control device 30 is configured to be connectable to an external personal computer 90 and a controller such as a joystick via a LAN using Ethernet or via a USB). As such, the examiner asserts that it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have made the joystick of Takahashi attached to the robot, as to do so amounts to a mere rearrangement of parts. Specifically, the examiner asserts that the mere shifting of the position of the joystick would not modify the operation of the device. See also MPEP 2144.04(VI)(C), and the cases cited therein.
Claim 16 is similar in scope to claim 7, and is similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 22, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 1, and further teaches wherein the stick portion is a grip configured to be gripped by a hand of a user (0044, the electronic control device 30 is configured to be connectable to an external personal computer 90 and a controller such as a joystick via a LAN using Ethernet or via a USB, Examiner’s note: the examiner is interpreting the “joystick” to read on the “grip configured to be gripped by a hand of a user, because in in its typical use, a user uses their hand to move or otherwise manipulate the joystick.).
Regarding claim 23, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 1, and further teaches wherein the different light emission patterns include the first light emission unit and the second light emission unit emitting light in different phases (0097, in step S222, it is determined that the cargo has fallen, and the autonomous mobile automatic guided vehicle 1 goes into a standby state due to the suspension of transportation, more specifically, the status display lamp 40 is lit in red and the action start switch lamp 46 is flashed, Examiner’s note: the examiner asserts that having one light emitting unit flash, while the other remains solid, could reasonably be interpreted as being in “different phases”).
Claims 4, 5, 13, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeshi, and further in view of Meduna (US 20230182304 A1, having an effective filing date of at least 16 November 2022), hereafter Meduna.
Regarding claim 4, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 2, but fails to explicitly teach wherein the system control includes changing the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition.
Meduna, however, does teach wherein the system control includes changing the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition (0074, mobile robot includes a plurality of individually controllable lighting modules that can be configured to display different lighting patterns and/or behaviors based on the robot behavior, the lighting modules may be controlled to display different patterns and/or behaviors based on the current operating mode of the robot, 0079-0080, one or more of the light sources in one or more of the lighting modules can be controlled based on status information associated with the robot to flash a status code, while at the same time, showing navigation information, status information can be displayed using the lighting modules in any suitable way, for instance, the outside edges of the lighting modules may be controlled to be one color, whereas the inner portions of the lighting modules may be controlled to show status information, which may include if arm motion is enabled, wheel motion only, autonomous mode, low battery mode, low speed mode due to nearby objects, running task/job, completed task waiting for new job, etc.).
Takeshi and Meduna are analogous because they are in a similar field of endeavor, e.g., robotic lighting and control systems. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have included the control-based lighting emission of Meduna in order to provide a means of indicating a robot’s movement status. The motivation to combine is to inform others in the environment as to the movement status of the robot.
Claim 13 is similar in scope to claim 4, and is similarly rejected.
Regarding claim 5, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 2, but fails to explicitly teach wherein the system control includes changing the first light emission pattern and the second light emission pattern used in each of the synchronization control, the first asynchronization control, and the second asynchronization control.
Meduna, however, in an analogous field of endeavor, does teach changing the first light emission pattern and the second light emission pattern used in each of the synchronization control, the first asynchronization control, and the second asynchronization control (0074, in some embodiments, the lighting modules may be controlled to display information about the speed and/or acceleration of the robot, for instance, if the robot is accelerating or is not accelerating, the brightness of the lighting modules configured to be displayed red can be controlled to be at, for example, 50% brightness, and when the robot is decelerating, the brightness can be changed, for example, to 100% brightness, or may change from 50% brightness to 100% brightness by pulsing the red lights to indicate that the robot is slowing down, 0079-0080, one or more of the light sources in one or more of the lighting modules can be controlled based on status information associated with the robot to flash a status code, while at the same time, showing navigation information).
Takeshi and Meduna are analogous because they are in a similar field of endeavor, e.g., robotic lighting and control systems. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have included the control-based lighting emission of Meduna in order to provide a means of indicating a robot’s movement status. The motivation to combine is to inform others in the environment as to the movement status of the robot.
Claim 14 is similar in scope to claim 5, and is similarly rejected.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeshi, and further in view of Mitchell (US 20170197674 A1), hereafter Mitchell.
Regarding claim 21, Takeshi teaches the control system according to claim 1, and further teaches wherein the mobile robot includes a chassis on which the transport object is placed (0038, A loading section for loading luggage is provided on the upper part of the main body 10).
Takeshi fails to teach, however:
Wherein a rod shaped stand attached to the chassis; and
Wherein the stick portion is attached to an upper surface portion of the stand.
Mitchell, however, in an analogous field of endeavor, does teach:
Wherein a rod shaped stand attached to the chassis (0066, In the figures, a controller mount 72 extends upwardly from the platform 20, with the main controller being connected to an upper end of the controller mount 72. As shown in the figures, the controller mount 72 may comprise an elongated pole or the like which extends upwardly from a central location on the front end 32 of the front frame 31.); and
Wherein the stick portion is attached to an upper surface portion of the stand (0066, In the figures, a controller mount 72 extends upwardly from the platform 20, with the main controller being connected to an upper end of the controller mount 72. As shown in the figures, the controller mount 72 may comprise an elongated pole or the like which extends upwardly from a central location on the front end 32 of the front frame 31.).
Takeshi and Mitchell are analogous because they are in a similar field of endeavor, e.g., robotic control systems. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to have included the joystick stand of Mitchell in order to provide a means of making the joystick more accessible. The motivation to combine is to allow for an operator to have easier access to the joystick (see at least 0066 of Mitchell).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/B.A.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3658 /JASON HOLLOWAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3658