DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim 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 2-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by King (4,993,912).
Regarding claims 2-11, 13, and 21 King discloses a mobile robot comprising: a plurality of wheel mechanisms, and at least one lever (62, 64), each for connecting two of the wheel mechanisms (20, 22) on a side of the mobile robot and configured to rotate freely with respect to a pivot point (82, 84) between said two-wheel mechanisms (20, 22) such that the relative order positional of said two-wheel mechanisms (20, 22) is maintained; wherein the at least one lever is configured to rotate freely in an unactuated state (when clutch 88 disengages the wheel over wheel motor 86), wherein the at least one lever (62, 64) is configured to be rotated by a motor (86) in an actuated state (when the clutch 88 engages the motor 86), wherein the robot comprises a clutch (88) for changing a state of the at least one tiling lever (62, 64) between the unactuated state and the actuated state; wherein, at least one lever (62, 64) in the actuated state is configured to exert a downward and/or upward force with respect to the ground, selectively on at least one of the middle wheels (20); at least one lever (62, 64) in the actuated state is configured to exert a downward and/or upward force with respect to the ground, selectively on at least one of the rear wheels (20); at least two motors (66, 68, 86), each of which being adapted to drive at least one respective wheel and/or the at least one lever in the actuated state, wherein the at least one lever (62, 64) is configured to rotate freely until a certain angle of rotation is reached, wherein the at least one lever is configured to rotate freely by at most 60°, clockwise and counterclockwise; wherein the at least one lever is configured to rotate freely by at most 45°, clockwise and counterclockwise (see fig. 2); wherein the relative positional order of said two wheel mechanisms is maintained with respect to a longitudinal direction of the mobile robot.
Regarding claim 12, King discloses a mobile robot comprising: wherein the at least one lever (62) is configured to rotate freely until a particular inclination angle is reached, at which point a motor (66, 68) is configured to engage the at least one lever to rotate the at least one lever.
Regarding claims 12, and 14-16, King discloses wherein the plurality of wheel mechanisms (20, 22) comprises on a left side of the mobile robot: a left front wheel mechanism including a left front wheel (14), a left rear wheel mechanism including a left rear wheel (26), and a left middle wheel mechanism including a left middle wheel (24) positioned between the left front wheel and the left rear wheel, and on a right side of the mobile robot: a right front wheel mechanism including a right front wheel (12), a right rear wheel mechanism including a right rear wheel (22), and a right middle wheel mechanism including a right middle wheel (20), positioned between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel; and wherein the mobile robot is configured such that a relative order of the rear wheels and the middle wheels is maintained while the robot traverses at least vertical obstacles (see fig. 2); an enclosed space (40) for holding at least one item for delivery; wherein the robot is configured to traverse curbstones.
Regarding claims 17-20, King discloses a method comprising:(a) providing at least one lever (62) rotating around the pivot point while the robot is travelling, wherein in (b) the method comprises the at least one lever (62) rotating freely; the at least one lever (62) rotating freely until a certain angle of rotation is reached, wherein in (b) the method comprises engaging at least one lever turn motor (66, 68) once the lever (62) reaches a certain tilting angle.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed November 19, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The examiner respectfully disagrees with applicant’s arguments that King (U.S. 4,993,912) does not maintain “a relative positional order of said two wheel mechanisms” because the following reasons: King discloses a middle wheel 24 is positioned in front of a rear wheel 26, and fig. 1 shows upon traveling in a forward direction the middle wheel 20 is positioned in front of the rear wheel 22, fig 2 shows upon climbing stair the middle wheel 20 is also positioned in front of the rear wheel 22, in other words, the positional of middle wheel 20 is always in front of the rear wheel 22 or a relative positional order of the middle wheel 24 and the rear wheel 26 is maintained.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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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/TOAN C TO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614 March 7, 2026